Roswell Summer Vignettes
by purplemud
Summary: Short stories on what the characters on Roswell went through right after Destiny (Season 2)
1. Desert Sky

ROSWELL SUMMER VIGNETTES  
  
Author: purplemud 

Title: Desert Sky 

E-mail: purplewitch10@yahoo.com 

Disclaimers: Roswell does not belong to me. Standard Disclaimers apply 

Rating: Mostly PG 13 for language. 

Summary: Under one sky, the aliens and the humans shares one of moment understanding 

Author's Note: Short stories on what the characters on Roswell went through right after Destiny (Season 2). Some explanations on the next chapter. Hope you guys enjoy reading. Feedback please.  
  


My many thanks to **Diane** who have been so great beta-reading this fic. 

  
**DESERT SKY  
**  
Out in the desert, one can't help but feel small and insignificant. The whole desert can swallow anyone up and the world would never notice. Would never even realize that another soul had succumbed to the lonely depths of oblivion, deep within the golden grains of sand.  
  
It's especially scary when you thought about it that way and Michael Guerin was scared. He stared up at the sky and saw nothing. The bright pinpoints of light that once meant home to him had gone unnoticed. Everything was dark, black - insignificant. He blinked and bent his head. The light from Max's jeep a few feet behind them cast eerie shadows across the sand. He kicked the sand that held his shadow and it was just his luck that at that very moment the wind picked up, scattering the dust everywhere and into his eyes.  
  
"Michael!" Isabel complained, brushing her shoulders and her hair. "Stop that."  
  
He complied and rubbed his eyes until they felt stingy and raw. He glanced at his wrist, trying to make out the green glowing numbers on his watch. It wasn't midnight yet. He had a feeling that they'd be staying like this for a very long time. It was getting cold. He wanted to wrap his arms around his body but then they would notice and one of them would offer their jacket. They always wore adequate clothes that protected them from the cold. And he didn't want that. Didn't want them to notice that he was different from them. Despite their alien blood, he was still different, still on the outside. He bit his cheeks and started to wander around, still staying fairly close inside their circle. From his position he could see everyone. He watched Max silently sitting beside Isabel.  
  
The Evans' had bought their picnic paraphernalia on this desert night activity that Max had planned. Michael was familiar with the red-checkered blanket that was now spread onto the desert floor. He had been invited once to one of the Evans' picnic by the beach. He never joined them again. It bothered him, the way Diane Evans always stole glances towards him, like he was an illusion that would soon disappear if she stared long enough. He felt like he was intruding, like he didn't belong. That feeling stayed and he realized early on that he secretly envied Max and Isabel because they were happy and they had a loving family, while he was stuck in a trailer with a drunken father who beat him up on a regular basis.  
  
He was no longer the envious ten-year-old but he was still a little mad. It got him pretty bad especially when Max and Isabel would start complaining on the stupidest of things, like not being allowed to stay out late at night or having parents that can impose strict rules, can ground you at their whim, take away your money and driving privileges. Michael snorted and shook his head. He knew that there was no sense in comparing his life with theirs. It wouldn't change a damn thing.  
  
Well that's the Evans' for you. Of course there were more to them than that. They were his family and he loved them in his own way. Max was his brother and Isabel was his sister. Nothing would ever change that. Speaking of family, he glanced at Tess.  
  
He couldn't decide where to put her. She was now part of their group because she was one of them. For a while he thought that maybe she could be his own sister. His one real family. But Nasedo was Tess' family and he never did quite feel that "sisterly-bond" with her. He watched Tess for a while and decided that she was more of an ally, not really a friend yet. But who knows, maybe he'd learn to treat her more like a friend and then a sister. This year he had learned to trust more than one human being. He might have even loved one. But he quickly dismissed that train of thought. He didn't want to think about her. Not tonight. He needed a break from all of the Maria-thoughts that had been plaguing him ever since he first felt her skin.  
  
He willed himself to steer his thoughts back to Tess Harding and he squinted his eyes to get a better view of her. Tess was standing a foot away from him, hands shoved deep into the back pockets of her jeans, and staring at the sky...the stars...he wasn't sure. Tess had been staring at it ever since they got here as though some alien deity that had wings would swoop down on her bearing a jeweled alien crown to pronounce her as the Queen of Antar.  
  
Antar, what a funny sounding name that was. Home was Antar. There, he won't be intruding - he'd belong. There he'd never feel so inconsequential. And finally, he would never be scared of being alone and angry with himself.  
  
He sighed impatiently, snapping himself from his pathetic thoughts. Get over yourself Guerin, he chided himself harshly. If he could, he would love to give himself a dose of his own cruelty. Maybe he already had. He had said goodbye to Maria and then walked away, wasn't that the cruelest thing he had done?  
  
Oh, nope, erase that. He had killed. There, cruelty at it's finest. Max healed people and he killed them. Or him. But hey who's counting. He had a strange feeling that if left without any other choice he would probably kill again. And that thought probably scares him the most.  
  
The wind never blew again and everything was still and peaceful and dead. Not one of them were talking, except for Isabel who would occasionally murmur something to Max, to which Max would respond in as little as he could. Michael finally got tired of walking aimlessly and sat himself down on the desert floor. It was still a little warm. Sun kissed, like Maria's hair. He allowed himself a brief smile at this thought.  
  
"Max, what time are we supposed to see... what was it that we were supposed to see again?" Isabel asked.  
  
Max repeated for the eighty-seventh time that they were going to see the planet line up in the sky. Like it was some glorious major event. Michael figured that Isabel had only come because she was tired of being held inside the house for too long, tired of hanging out with her pretentious group of cliques. He turned to Tess, who was still fixated on the sky. Easy guess on why she came. She came because Max was here, that was all that would matter to Tess. Max and Destiny. Michael had the feeling that if Max wanted to go to Mars, Tess would only be too glad to provide Max the space shuttle he'll need.  
  
And he came because he was part of this group. Because staying inside his house with all the Maria-memories was driving him insane. Because he got tired of wandering around the streets of Roswell, New Mexico when he got too restless and bored. Because he was afraid that he'd find himself standing by Maria's window again, watching her sleep.  
  
There was a distant rumble of an engine that quickly died away. Isabel tensed and straightened her back. Tess immediately backed away and was beside Max, who had suddenly stood up.  
  
Jumpy aren't we. Michael thought disgustedly. He remained seated. Tired of being so damn paranoid and scared.  
  
"What was that?" Isabel asked, knowing the answer but not wanting to believe in it.  
  
"Just a car. Probably some dumb couple wanting to...you know..." Michael said shrugging.  
  
"Out in the desert?" Tess asked incredulously.  
  
Max put a finger on his lips and Tess was immediately silenced. Michael rolled his eyes, if it had been him who had done that gesture, no one would take him seriously, everyone would keep yapping at him.  
  
"Michael's probably right," Max finally said sitting down.  
  
"Thank you," Michael muttered sarcastically. But it seemed to fall on deaf ears. Isabel didn't relax one bit. But Tess was already back to her composed self, settling herself beside Max.  
  
"Are you sure?" Isabel asked.  
  
Max nodded. "There are probably a few people who know about the planets aligning tonight and they've probably heard that this is a great spot to watch it." Max explained rationally.  
  
Isabel let out a big sigh. "God, I hate being so...so..."  
  
"Jumpy?" Michael asked.  
  
"Yeah," Isabel said nodding quietly, already deep in her thought. Michael wouldn't be surprised if she hadn't heard him at all.  
  
Max was about to say something when another voice beat him to it.  
  
"Dammit Kyle! Slow down!"  
  
Michael felt as though he had been kicked in the gut. No, no, not his gut, someplace, some organ more precious than his gut. Like maybe his whole being, flesh and bones and maybe his soul too.  
  
Maria.  
  
Maria and Kyle.  
  
He sensed everyone staring at him but he pretended not to notice. He had felt that stare all his life. He was already familiar with the combination of pity and amusement it held. It was fucking redundant in his life already. He looked straight on and pretended not to care. He clenched his fist as voices continued to drift towards them. Somehow it reminded him of his neighbor's radio that was always playing annoying cheesy pop songs day in and day out. Listening to the softest hint of whiny pop stars was enough to make his head explode. He had in fact, more than once pressed his hands against the wall and concentrated on blowing up the goddamn radio. Of course it didn't work  
  
*****  
  
"Well, it wouldn't be so damn hard for you to walk if you hadn't put on those strappy sandals and that itty bitty skirt of yours!" Kyle shot back glancing back at his blonde companion who was struggling against the mini- sand dunes that they had to walk on. Friggin' time for a short skirt, but hey, who was he to tell her what to wear?  
  
"Well I wouldn't be wearing this if you had told me we were only going to go to the desert and..." Maria paused. "What are we doing here Kyle?" she asked sounding lost.  
  
"Alex said we're gonna watch the..." Kyle paused too, scratched his head and then shrugged his shoulder, "I don't know, stars or Mars or something. He just said that I pick you up and bring you here." He walked on, the perfect spot catching his eyes. He headed towards it.  
  
"What?!" Maria stopped dead on her tracks.  
  
Kyle rolled his eyes and turned just in time to see her seethe. "Did I stutter?" He asked viciously.  
  
Maria ignored him. "You woke me up in the middle of the night to watch the freakin' stars!" She shrieked.  
  
"Yes! What? You think it was a date?"  
  
"Date? With you? Right..."  
  
"Yeah, well, you're all dressed up. Figured you wanted to-" Kyle paused, searching for the right word. He turned and looked at Maria, smiling easily, "seduce me." He finished, adding a wink  
  
There was a teasing tone in his voice and what sounded like a light chuckle. Maria winced. "Seduce you?!" She exploded. Kyle chuckled some more. She stopped and gritted her teeth, trying to calm herself. "Kyle, I hate to break it to you, but you're not exactly my type. Never have been and never will be." She trudged along, walking past Kyle, shaking her head. "I thought it was Liz's surprise going away party." She muttered.  
  
"And I thought you dressed up for me." Kyle smirked, feigning hurt. He bent down and spread the blanket he had been clutching. He turned at Maria who was frowning at him. He sighed loudly and sat down. He was determined to ignore her. Her and her long legs.  
  
Dammit, Valenti. We're talking about Maria here, ok? Flaky Maria. Remember you used to throw sand on her face when you were younger playing in that old sandbox by the playground? And oh, God, how she'd fight back. Which was why you had been attracted to Liz Parker in the first place because she was always clean and smelled sweet and acted less angry and more like a girl. He glanced at Maria.  
  
Innocent DeLuca. God, every man is going to want to break her. He felt a sudden surge of brotherly protectiveness over her. He just couldn't decide if it was a good thing or not. Maybe it was neither, it was just weird. Because him and Maria, as brother and sister? He shuddered inwardly and reminded himself of Guerin's laser eyes. He'd seen the warning signs and he wasn't going to ignore it, he could tempt it, yes, but only if the Martian was there to bear witness and suffer, but not when it was just him and Maria underneath the stars.  
  
"Now what?" Maria asked noticing Kyle staring at her.  
  
"Now we wait for Liz and Alex," he answered looking up into the sky. And I hope they get here soon enough he added silently.  
  
*****  
  
"God, are they flirting with each other?" Tess muttered darkly.  
  
And again the feeling of everyone's eyes on him. Michael scowled. So much for one night of alien bonding Max had planned. Michael thought trying to drive away Maria's name inside his head.  
  
"Max, should we..." Isabel asked, her voice lowered, as if afraid that they'd be found out lurking by the dark, listening, prying into Maria and Kyle's normal life.  
  
Normal huh? Before, sure. He'd give them normal any day. But now, after all that had happened, normal? No, I don't think so. Michael thought. No thanks to me and my happy alien life of course.  
  
Max was about to answer, but again, another voice spoke. Isabel's back straightened and she tilted her head forward her eyes suddenly bright and alive.  
  
"And you're arguing again," Alex said.  
  
"What a surprise," Liz echoed from behind him.  
  
And this needless to say, garnered the very same reaction from Isabel's brother. On any normal day (if they ever had any) Max would have immediately stood up and followed that voice. It was the romantic kind of crap Michael knew Max was capable of. He was fairly surprised that Max remained glued to his seat. And the scene a few weeks ago played out in his mind. Liz Parker walking away from Max Evans. She gave him up. For Tess. For Destiny. For Antar.  
  
Tess gritted her teeth. God, these humans were everywhere! She searched for the faces of Max, Isabel and Michael. They all had the same blank expression on their faces. But she knew exactly what they were feeling. And for a brief moment, she felt jealous that she hadn't connected with even one human being. She couldn't decide whether or not she should be scared with this passing thought.  
  
*****  
  
Alex and Liz came with a small folding chair, thick blankets, a telescope, flashlights and basket, probably filled with food and drinks. Good 'ol dependable Alex and Liz. But neither Kyle nor Maria took notice of the goods. Instead they immediately went on defensive mode.  
  
"It wasn't my fault." Kyle immediately defended himself crossing his arms.  
  
"Of course! Since when do guys ever admit that it's their fault? So, sure, let's humor the male population, I started it all." Maria replied plopping herself beside Kyle and yanking one of Alex's thick blankets out of his hands. She quickly covered up her legs and glared at the boys.  
  
"Ok, you guys, we're here to marvel at the beauty and mystery of nature, of the universe, so please, lets not get angry, ok?" Liz quickly said both arms raised as if to placate two stubborn kids. She sat herself beside Kyle and smiled at him. "Nice of you to come," she said softly.  
  
"Yeah, well, I figured since this is gonna be your last night here before you go to Florida, might as well fix things between us." Kyle said with a shrug.  
  
"Thanks." Liz said quietly. "I appreciate it."  
  
*****  
  
A few feet away, one particular alien wasn't in the least bit appreciative. Max looked away, as though he was actually seeing Liz and Kyle, together, seated side by side, elbows touching. And it would be so easy for them. No Destiny to keep them apart. No otherworldly status to ponder on.  
  
Florida. It sounded so very far away. So very far away from him. She was running away from him. The one thing he had been so scared of happening. Back when all he could do was imagine what it would be like if he had Liz Parker by his side, when all he could do was watch her from a distance, he had played out scenes in his mind on how she'd react when she'd found out that he was an alien. All of them played out nicely, but there was this one scene he couldn't forget: Liz Parker, screaming in terror and fear, backing away from him, running, running until he could see her no more, smell her no more, sense her no more. And now, it was all coming true. And this wasn't in anyway related to his alien status - well maybe a part of it - but she was running away from him because he had broken her heart.  
  
The rest of them decided to ignore Max's reaction. Instead they sat there silently. Not wanting to eavesdrop, but left with not much of a choice. At least that was what they were telling themselves.  
  
***** 

Alex unfolded the chair and sat down beside Maria. "And not that I don't appreciate the effort and you look pretty by the way, but why are you all dressed up?" He asked taking note of Maria's hair and make-up.  
  
Maria blushed and muttered, "Oh, just being me. Dumb blonde and all."  
  
"So uh, what exactly are we doing here?" Kyle asked looking around him. He never really enjoyed - much less liked - the desert. And yet here he was, surrounded by the black dunes of sand and soil, so very bleak and dry. Not at all like vast green football field where he felt like he belonged. Desert. He had his own definition of the desert. A terrain that doesn't seem to belong here on Earth. Where had he heard that futuristic films set in Mars or some other freakin' planet were shot on the desert?  
  
"I know you guys are not exactly into the whole 'space' thing..." Liz began slowly.  
  
"You can say that again." Kyle interrupted loudly.  
  
"But, because we figured it would be nice for the four of us to get together after all that has happened and be, you know, friends." Alex continued ignoring Kyle.  
  
"Ah, human bonding." Maria said, smiling. "But I like it." She said tilting her head. "I mean, us, underneath the same sky, moon, stars, you know, whatever."  
  
The guys nodded solemnly, not sure what Maria meant exactly, Liz however reached out to squeeze Maria's arm.  
  
"Are we going to pledge our friendship and bury something in the sand?" Maria asked with the slightest hint of sarcasm.  
  
Of course, sarcasm was always lost on Kyle. "Gimme a break! That's just, girly stuff! I don't do that!" He turned towards Alex ignoring the exasperated expression on Maria's face. "So we're star gazing? Is that it? Is that the human activity for the week?" Kyle asked.  
  
"No actually, we're gonna watch the planets align tonight," Liz said with a proud flourish.  
  
*****  
  
Ah, it seems as though Max Evans and Liz Parker had the very same thing in mind when they dragged their respective friends out in the desert. Try to patch things up. Heal all broken bonds that had bled and snapped over the last few months. Really, were there any more questions in their minds who was really destined for who?  
  
And oh, look at that. Michael thought almost bitterly. The very same excuse! Now, see, there is what soulmates do best. Think with just one mind, heart, and soul. Except he wasn't sure if being an alien gave them heart and soul. He should better ask Nasedo or Tess about that one. He briefly noted that the same thought had probably gone through the same heads of his alien companions. Max looked both hurt and what was that... pride? Was that pride in his eyes? And Isabel. Oh, probably the same thing he was feeling. Jealousy. And Tess? Tess looked like she needed to gag. He smirked at the humanness of their reactions. Human bonding that was what Maria had called Liz's desert rendezvous. He smirked. Interesting indeed.  
  
*****  
  
There was a lengthy pause and then Kyle and Maria said in unison, "And?"  
  
"And well, this thing happens like, once in a million years." Alex tried to rescue Liz who was trying to hide her disappointment. "You, know, it's like History! C'mon, I mean, it's...we're lucky we get to see it." Alex scratched his head at the clueless and expectant looks on Kyle and Maria's faces. He gave a short bark of laughter and added sheepishly, "Actually, it is pretty lame. But hey, we're all here now, so we might as well try and enjoy the night. Right?"  
  
Alex looked at Liz in apology, but Liz merely smiled at him. She wasn't really expecting Maria and Kyle to jump up and down at the concept of watching the sky, waiting for the planets to align themselves. But she knew Max would've loved it. She wondered if Max knew. If he was staring at the same sky that she was. If he remembered the night they had first kissed and... Stop! Just stop right there Parker! No Max Evans thoughts for tonight. No, this was a strictly human only thing - event - even if it did involve planets... and Argh!  
  
"Ok-aaay." Kyle said. There was another silent pause and then Kyle spoke up again. "So, if this involves, you know, planets, the universe, wormholes, whatever, did someone inform the Pod Squad about this, ugh, phenomenon? I mean, isn't this the kind of, uh, stuff that they're looking for?"  
  
*****  
  
POD SQUAD?  
  
The group of aliens suddenly scowled at this. They heard Alex chuckling. And Max turned at Isabel raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Well," Isabel said, shrugging her shoulders, "it is true. I mean, technically, we can be the Pod Squad, right?" She frowned. "But then again, Kyle could need a little experience in Dreamwalking. Let's see how freaked out he'd get when I visit him one of these nights." And then Isabel allowed herself a slow smile.  
  
"One day, I'm gonna zap Kyle Valenti and it ain't gonna be pretty," Tess said crossing her arms.  
  
"Hear, hear." Michael muttered.  
  
*****  
  
"Hey, you know, they might not appreciate that, um, moniker." Liz said trying to hide the amusement in her voice. Maybe thinking of them wouldn't be so bad. Besides she had already planned, no vowed, to herself that once she set foot at Florida, there would be no more alien thoughts. No more in depth analysis on Destiny and heartbreak.  
  
Kyle snickered. "Yeah, well, it's not like the Pod Squad's gonna know about it. And weren't you the one who called Isabel, Queen Amidala."  
  
"Actually, that would be me," Maria admitted. "But that's different." Maria added quickly trying to save grace.  
  
"Yeah how?" Maria opened her mouth to say something and then closed it again. "Yeah, I thought so. Besides, who's gonna hear? C'mon, lighten up. You're starting to sound like that paranoid Martian."  
  
"And that Martian would be?" Alex asked.  
  
"Why doncha ask Maria, eh?" Kyle said grinning slightly.  
  
Maria rolled her eyes. "Stop the name calling Kyle. It's low ok."  
  
Kyle merely shrugged his shoulders. "I don't care," he said quietly.  
  
"Right. Why would you care? I mean, hey Max just healed you and basically brought you back from the dead after you got yourself shot..." Maria commented brusquely.  
  
"Yeah well, you're forgetting that the only reason why I got shot in the first place was because of a certain alien..."  
  
"Who happened to save your life," Liz insisted.  
  
"Ok, if you're all going to start defending Evans, I'm outta here." Kyle said standing up.  
  
"No! Wait! Kyle!" Liz said pulling Kyle back down. "We weren't defending him or anything."  
  
"Sounds like it to me." Kyle said. "I thought we are human bonding - or whatever you call it. I'm here for it, but no alien discussion ok?"  
  
"You brought them up." Maria reminded him. Kyle looked at her pointedly, and she sighed. "It's not therapy. I mean, God forbid we do that, cause I don't think any shrink would ever believe me when I say an alien human hybrid broke my..." Maria paused and then smiled slyly, "broke my best friend's heart."  
  
"Hey!" Liz said swatting Maria.  
  
"What?! It was just an example." She giggled and continued, "Besides, what else are we gonna talk about? Football? No, uh-uh, not gonna work buddy."  
  
"She's right. I thought you would want to talk about it Kyle." Alex said. "I mean, I knew I wanted to talk about it when I found out. Maybe we could, uh, enlighten you somehow."  
  
"Well, then enlighten me." Kyle said crossing his arms.  
  
"We'll try." Liz said.  
  
Kyle paused. He thought for a second and then nodded his head. "Ok, so how does the whole alien-human-relationship work?" Kyle asked looking at them.  
  
"Next question." Liz said immediately.  
  
"Pass." Alex announced.  
  
"Argh! You had to ask that question didn't you? Jerk!" Maria accused him.  
  
"I'm enlightened now." Kyle said nodding thoughtfully.  
  
*****  
  
There was a lengthy pause where Max and Isabel had hung their heads. Michael, defiantly threw out his chin, so very obviously pretending that he didn't care. What were they expecting anyway? That Alex, Liz and Maria would gush and rave about them and their human sensitivity.  
  
Tess watched them somberly. It was beginning to show how much the humans affected them. She wondered if there ever would come a time when she'd care what humans thought or felt about her.  
  
*****  
  
"Ok, fine. It wasn't that bad." Maria said exasperatedly.  
  
"No, actually, it was quite fine." Alex added.  
  
"Except for the Destiny part. Which none of us are ready to talk about so..."  
  
"So, lemme ask just one question." Kyle announced. "It's sorta private..."  
  
Maria cut him off, "This better not be about our sex lives Kyle." She warned.  
  
*****  
  
And the corners of Michael's mouth actually lifted up in a smirk. It was the first time he had ever heard the word "sex" come out of Maria's luscious mouth. He regretted not being there to see it. Damn. Damn her and the way she could always do something that would throw him off balance. God. He had to stop thinking about her!  
  
*****  
  
Kyle turned towards Maria with a smile. "Really? You have one?" That earned him a punch in the arm. Maria opened her mouth. "No! Stop! On second thoughts, I don't wanna hear about it!"  
  
"Your question?" Liz asked not wanting to remember the time when... no wait, that was it. She did not want to remember anything about Max Evans. Or his kisses or his touch or the way it made her feel as though she was flying through space and time. The flashes. Oh, God the flashes.  
  
"Liz?" She heard Maria ask. She snapped out of it and mentally kicked herself. Nice job Parker. Really, keep that up and you'll never make it to Florida at all. "Oh, huh?" She asked absentmindedly. Maria looked at her knowingly. Liz smiled and acknowledged Maria's questioning look. Got me there, chica. She thought, marveling at their best friend telepathy. She turned towards Kyle and tried to make out what he was saying.  
  
"I'm just curious. Have you ever wished you hadn't known about the, you, know, the Martians?" Kyle asked.  
  
*****  
  
The aliens tensed and held their breaths. Even if they didn't want to admit it, this question had been plaguing them too. Of course, they already had an idea as to what the answer would be. They had this curse. Everything they touched. Everyone they let in, they ultimately destroy. They could very well hear it now and learn how to deal with it. After all, after finding their destiny, there had been the silent understanding that they'd have to cut off whatever human ties they had formed. It would be easier if the humans hated them, wouldn't it? They'd have a reason to hate back.  
  
Liz, Maria, Alex - even Kyle, they had never asked to be let in on their secret. No it was their mistake. It was Max's. It was something that they're gonna have to deal with for the rest of their lives. It was something they'll have to carry every damn day. The silent guilt of wanting to be human, to be normal and in doing so, in wanting so, they had learned love and friendship. They had learned how it was to be human. Vulnerable and weak.  
  
*****  
  
"That's not fair." Maria cried. "I mean, its not like we had any choice. It's not like they had any choice for that matter."  
  
"Evans did." Kyle said.  
  
"Yeah and if he hadn't Liz would've died." Alex reminded him.  
  
"So, we're thankful. Is that it?" Kyle asked.  
  
There was another pause.  
  
Liz couldn't bring herself to speak. How could they blame Max? He had saved her! He had given her this... this gift. And even if it meant having her life in danger, having her heart broken, at least she had known that it was for something... precious. Something that made her alive, in every sense of the word.  
  
"Well," Maria began carefully. "I am. I mean, I'm thankful and I'm not sorry I got to know about their secret. Yeah, and not just because Max saved Liz's life. It's more than that. I - I can't explain it." She paused and looked at Kyle, "You think it had been any easier on them trusting us?"  
  
"I don't know. I was never trusted anyway. If I hadn't gotten shot, maybe I would have never found out. If my dad had found out, I don't think he'd tell me either. So, I don't know Maria. You tell me. You think it was that hard for them to trust you guys?"  
  
"We can't answer that Kyle. You'll have to ask them." Liz said.  
  
***** 

No. It was a vehement answer that shocked Michael to the core. No, that's not right. He told himself. He hadn't trusted anyone in the first place. Never did. And yet, when he heard Kyle ask that question, the answer had been immediate and sure.  
  
Had it been hard for them to trust Liz, Maria and Alex?  
  
No. He trusted them almost right away, even if he had been too stubborn and blind to admit it. The many times that Liz and Maria and Alex had helped them out, no questions asked. The loyalty they gave them, one that they had never even asked for in the first place, puzzled him. Why had they put their lives on the line for them?  
  
He glanced at Max and Isabel. And for the first time in many weeks, he could see right through them. Could know what they were thinking.  
  
No. It hadn't been hard to trust them. the humans.  
  
The very same answer that he had.  
  
They had trusted Liz, Maria and Alex and maybe even Sheriff Valenti almost as easily as they trusted each other. Maybe it was their need to believe that the humans that they had lived with - well, some of them anyway - could learn to accept them. The alien hybrids that they were. And in accepting them, maybe they could live without the fear that had haunted them ever since they realized they were different.  
  
Or maybe, he just loved Maria too much. Had loved her even before he could realize it. Maybe it was the same for Isabel and Alex. And suddenly, he understood Max. He maybe he can even understand why Max risked everything to save Liz Parker.  
  
*****  
  
"Think about it this way, who on this planet had ever knowingly experienced having breakfast with a bunch of aliens, huh? No one. Except for me and Liz and Maria," Alex said.  
  
"And kissing. Making out with an alien... but, oooh, I so don't wanna talk about that one!" Maria said out of nowhere.  
  
"It's not that bad." Alex hurriedly said noting Kyle's reaction. "Besides, I personally like the running around, spying, gun-fighting, alien-hunting adventures. It was fun."  
  
"Not for me. I got shot remember?" Kyle reminded them.  
  
"You just gotta know them. I mean, Max, he's Max and he's a real nice guy." Alex offered. "Isabel can be really prissy sometimes, but she doesn't let anyone treat her like crap, same goes for her friends." Liz added.  
  
"And Michael... well he's infuriating and all, but I personally like him the best." Maria giggled and added, "Besides, all in all, I think no matter how much they try to deny it, they're still human."  
  
"And Tess?" He asked.  
  
*****  
  
All eyes this time turned to Tess as the silence stretched on.  
  
Tess pretended not to care. She shrugged. But deep inside, she could feel a stir in her chest. Was it longing? No. Nasedo said she shouldn't... she shouldn't feel.  
  
*****  
  
"Tess?" Liz asked. "Well, she's..."  
  
"We don't know. I mean, I can call her bitch all day and all night, but really Kyle, none of us know. Maybe she's just a victim here, on a grand scheme of things, it wasn't her fault that she had to be the one to know about their destiny," Maria said more slowly this time.  
  
"She helped get Max out of the white room." Liz said, "I owe her that. She saved Max's life. I couldn't."  
  
"Isabel trusted her in the first place and trust me, if there's a good judge of character among the uh, Pod Squad, that would be her." Alex said.  
  
"Sure, Tess did a lot of nasty things, but we have to think about the fact that she grew up with an alien too, unlike Max and Isabel and Spaceboy. So, she's you know, kinda driven towards the whole Destiny thing." Maria added.  
  
"So, all in all these aliens don't seem so alien after all?" Kyle said raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Ok, now, you're confusing us." Maria said. "See, that's my job Kyle."  
  
"No, I mean, I figure since physically, they're not little green men, I thought they think and feel differently. As far as I can tell, they seem, well, normal to me."  
  
"Oh, God, you called them normal!" Maria shrieked and giggled. "Do you know how much that would mean to them?!" She giggled again.  
  
"They're just different. But they're as human as you, me and the next Adam or Jane can get. They just can manipulate molecules and save lives. Which frankly, makes them no better than us. They have the same insecurities." Alex said trying to silence Maria's laughter.  
  
"Except maybe for Isabel, cause she's so perfect and all." Maria interrupted. "But they get to do a lot of stupid things too." She paused and stopped herself before she started enumerating the stupid things Michael had done. "I know they kinda suck on the human part, but who doesn't? There isn't like a book on how to be human. They're even better humans than the rest of the humans I know!" Maria scrunched up her nose. "That made sense right?"  
  
"And you Kyle?" Liz asked ignoring Maria's confusing statement. "Any regrets?"  
  
"I hate them."  
  
"Nah, you don't. Admit it, you actually think it's kinda cool being healed by an alien." Alex teased.  
  
"No, I don't." Kyle said coldly, crossing his arms  
  
"Right. You never know. Maybe in the next year, you'd be putting your ass on the line for them too," Maria said. "Hey, maybe you might even be invited in our alien secret meetings."  
  
"You have meetings?" Kyle asked incredulously.  
  
"Maybe you can even save the world or two." Alex added.  
  
"Wait, you save the world?" Kyle asked again turning to Liz with wide eyes. Liz nodded seriously.  
  
"Of course! What, you think all we do is make-out with them? Pig!" Maria retorted. "Might even teach you the secret alien handshake." She added with another batch of giggles.  
  
"Not me. I'm planning on an alien-free life baby." Kyle muttered.  
  
"But you haven't answered your question." Liz pointed out.  
  
"What, do I ever regret knowing about them?" Maria nodded. Kyle paused and thought about it. He was feeling pretty charitable today. And it had been a long time since he had talked honestly with Liz and Maria and Alex. It felt nice. What the hell! He cleared his throat. "First off, I regret getting shot. It wasn't fun." He thought again, "I regret harassing them. It was low and juvenile." He dug deeper. "I regret not being able to thank Guerin for saving my dad's life. Hell, maybe I even regret not thanking Evans for saving my life."  
  
"But not knowing about them?" Maria asked her eyes kind.  
  
Kyle paused, more out of confusion than anything else. "Would you just stop." He said instead throwing up his arms.  
  
"I want to hear it!" Maria insisted.  
  
Kyle rolled his eyes. Fine! Not like the alien bunch would find out anyway. "No, I don't. I just wish I was let in on the secret before. What, I couldn't be trusted, was that it? You think I'd babble to my dad?"  
  
"You hated Max." Alex pointed out.  
  
"But if I had known that he healed Liz, I wouldn't. I'd kiss the guy's feet if I'd known!"  
  
Liz smiled at this and reached out to touch Kyle's arm. And everything between them - all the bad stuff faded away. He smiled back. "You're a great friend Kyle."  
  
"You would?" Maria asked ignoring the Liz-Kyle moment happening right before her nose.  
  
"It was just an expression ok!" Kyle snapped.  
  
And again the silence.  
  
Four humans, four aliens all underneath one glorious star-studded sky. The silence felt precious and even though they were not conscious of sharing this night, this sky, this experience with each other, they could very well have been sitting together. And all of them briefly wondered why it couldn't have been so. Was the difference too great for them to understand the same pain, the same need to belong, to be loved? It wasn't a question they normally ask themselves, but perhaps at this particular time, at this span of silence this thought had crossed their minds. And the answer scared them a little. But more than anything, it gave them strength.  
  
Maybe being human after all wasn't just about being vulnerable and weak.  
  
The four humans had already proven that, hadn't they?  
  
Max, Michael, Isabel and even Tess had been completely floored by this revelation. For the first time, they actually felt not bad being who they were.  
  
Without them knowing it, without them realizing it, they had made a permanent connection with the human beings of Roswell, New Mexico.  
  
End note:  
  
Ok, that's the first vignette. I have a whole series of it actually. I don't know how many, but I hope you guys all enjoyed reading it and I would really appreciate your feedbacks. C&Cs are most welcome. Please feel free to tell me what you guys think and I'll be more than happy to reply. I posted it before but wasn't able to update regularly and now I'm trying to make sure that I update at least once a month. I'll be posting the second vignette soon. Thanks. And reviews please!


	2. An Afternoon At the Crashdown

ROSWELL SUMMER VIGNETTES

Author: purplemud

Title: An Afternoon at the Crashdown

E-mail: purplewitch10@yahoo.com 

Disclaimers: Roswell does not belong to me. Standard Disclaimers apply 

Rating: Mostly PG 13 for language. 

Author's Note: And now the explanation. This is the first time I've ever sent in a Roswell fic. This is mostly a Candy fic and some CC couples...and sometimes a hint of UC too. I also made Kyle stay at Roswell for a couple of weeks before he went to "football camp". Each story can stand up on it's own and are not necessarily a continuation from the first one. So, basically, what we have is a totally plot-less bunch of fics! Ugh, not exactly the most promising thing to read as starters, but I hope you give these vignettes a chance. I hope you guys will like them, or some of them, hell, I'll be grateful you like just one. Please feel free to leave your reviews, comments, criticisms, and flames you can tell me anything and everything you want. I appreciate them all. Thanks for your time and hope you enjoy reading!

Special thanks to** Diane **for beta-reading this fic! 

An Afternoon at the Crashdown 

Huddled figures of young teens were familiar sights at the Crashdown, especially with their group. They had been staying here almost every damn day. Most of the time it was to wait for the cook to get out of his kitchen so they can all start their daily trek to the desert and into their pod chambers. There was really nowhere else to go. 

The usual afternoons were spent trying to get through the day without getting into any sort of trouble. Very normal for the teenage Americans. But, no, not even teen angst can ever make them normal enough. 

Max, Michael, Isabel and Tess were yet again seated at their usual table. The conversation was hushed and they immediately gave off the air of privacy which was unnecessary because there were not many customers present inside the cafe. The heavy silence hung around them and three heads expectantly turned towards their leader boy-king. 

As usual, he was silent and seemed far, far away from them.

Florida. He was in Florida. At least in mind and heart he was. He thought briefly about the place, pictured the blue-white waves crashing into the sand. Families huddled together around a sumptuous picnic, towels laid out on the sand, sun-blocks and shades scattered about, guys running around throwing Frisbees in the air. He then pictured Liz Parker in it and then shook his head. He didn't want to think about it...about her.

So instead Max Evans stared blankly out of the window of the Crashdown and watched the flow of people in the street. It was probably one of the hottest days in Roswell, New Mexico. He watched the clear shimmering vision of the gray asphalt that stretched on for miles until the town would dissolve into nothing...into the bleakness of the desert. He shook his head again and then averted his eyes towards the table. He didn't want to think of the desert either. Because thinking about it would make him think about her again.

And Destiny. 

Destiny. What a bitter word it had become.

"Max?"

It was his sister's voice that pulled him out of his thoughts. He turned to look at Isabel, his brown eyes hazy and unsure, as if he had awoken from a deep dream. No, make that a nightmare.

"You're not listening." 

It was a statement, not a question, not an accusation. And, it was also the truth. He shook his head for the third time. I don't want to listen, his mind rudely answered, but Max Evans was never rude, he was soft spoken, kind hearted and well, nice, as the entire female population of West Roswell High would call him. 

But he wasn't just nice now. He was a king now. A king of some distant, long-forgotten planet which he was sure was what Isabel, Michael and Tess had been discussing as he had let himself drift away. He was supposed to be responsible and wise now. Not just nice, nice wouldn't cut it anymore. He heard the disgusted snort of his best friend, Michael Guerin. His second-in-command actually, and yeah, how very supportive of him. He met Michael's glare head on. He was challenging him, as he had the time Michael had touched his arm and told him to let Liz Parker go...let her walk off into the desert, let her think that he had accepted the Destiny that had been shoved into his face...

Michael didn't back down. He never backed down on anything and anyone for that matter that was forced against him. He believed that this "Destiny" was what he had been looking for all of his life. He believed that he and Isabel are supposed to get their relationship right...not brother and sister as they have been ever since they had discovered each other on the playground. No, they were supposed to be lovers. The Royal Princess of their planet betrothed to him, the General. He was going to accept this Destiny dammit. He wasn't going to let Max Evans, his Royal Highness, get him to think otherwise. They were more alien than human. Hadn't it been clear from all that they have experienced from this year? He searched Max's eyes and found only pity in them and he seethed with anger, anger that compelled him to clench his jaw and bite his lips. And then suddenly just as before, in times that he was near his breaking point, his thoughts were filled with images of her. Her blonde hair, her green eyes that were always sad and angry and amused and laughing all at the same time, her soft full lips, and her warmth. He shook his head to clear his brain...don't think of her. Because if he thought of her then he'd be directing his anger at himself. And then he'd be howling in pain and anger. He wished, he truly wished that this Destiny thing would all be worth it.

Isabel swallowed hard. This is what they had become now. Enemies. God she hated it. She hated that they were all forced into this. She knew how difficult it was for her brother to let Liz Parker go. She knew how difficult it was for Michael to turn his back from Maria DeLuca. And most of all, she knew how difficult it had been for her and Alex to just stand aside and pretend that they can be friends. She felt awful. From anyone's point of view, especially Alex's, she had treated him like a yo-yo. Friend, boyfriend, shoulder to cry on, someone to help in the grand big mother of all cover-ups. God, just the other night Stacey had laughed on the phone and said, "poor Alex." And she had snapped at Stacey for talking as though she knew everything, when in fact the only thing Stacey knew about her was the size of her cheering uniform and the number of guys she had dated over the past couple of years. What she had with Stacey and the rest of the popular crowd was probably the shallowest foundation to friendship. There was no chance that they'd talk to her, much less understand her if she confessed that she was someone from a different planet and her mother could only attend PTA meetings through a hologram. And there was Alex. Alex who understood and never presumed anything about her, who was never too careful and patronizing, who of all the guys - hell maybe even humans - he was the one she thought she could really love. And despite all of this what had she done? She treated him like a freakin' yo-yo, a human doormat. She shook her head, one of these days she's gotta learn to finally stand up and take control of her life. Just what Alex had told her to do. What Alex had told her that she _could do. _

Max kept his eyes on Michael; saw how it slightly wavered only to be strengthened by rage. He could feel Isabel's hand clutching his from underneath the table. He wouldn't back down, sorry Iz, but he wouldn't. And so his eyes met Michael's, never wavering. Max knew he was right. He would not back down. He was the king wasn't he? He can act like a total ass; impose his will on all of them. But because he was Max Evans he had sat with them silently and let them tell him what to do, let them criticize him...but he knows his heart and he knew that Liz Parker was his destiny.

This whole Destiny crap, nobody wanted it. Michael and Isabel didn't want it. He didn't want it. In fact, if he wanted to, if Max was that cruel, he would have told Tess in her face that he would never, could never love her the way he did Liz Parker. That he didn't want her as his destiny, didn't want her as his queen. He would have also pointed out to both Michael and Isabel that they had been trying the whole couple thing for the last three weeks and still, nothing, not even a spark to light up their dark deadened eyes. All three of them have the same eyes now. 

Except of course for Tess Harding who was sitting beside Michael, trying to see who between the General and the King would break the staring contest, who would speak first, who would finally get the courage to accept this Destiny...not just to believe in it but to actually accept it and want it. But they soon will, one of them would have to actually fulfill their destiny, she would see to it. This year, she would be with her King once again. All these mental conversations, it wasn't mind-numbing at all, in fact she reveled in it. It showed how much work she had to do, how much coaxing, how much lying she was willing to do. It was of great disappointment for her that the tension was suddenly simmered down as they heard the door open and voices of the three humans drifted towards them. 

Isabel, always nervous about the growing bad blood between Max and Michael, had quickly turned her head to watch the door open and welcome the human inhabitants of Roswell...the human inhabitants of their hearts. Max didn't turn as his sister had, but his eyes had softened well enough to end the power struggle. Tess felt Michael stiffen and jerk his head away, as if afraid of who he would have to face. Tess knew that Michael needed time to compose himself, get that arrogant smile plastered on his lips, that hard cold look in his dark eyes before he can really look into Maria DeLuca's eyes. How pathetic. It seemed to her that all three aliens were making way too much effort to avoid being around the humans that shared their secret. She guessed this was because of Destiny. 

Their usual schedule was always, loosely, if not directly, based on the humans' schedule. Michael could only work at the Crashdown during the early morning shift and late night shift. Maria was to work during the afternoon and early evening. Isabel would only get out of their house if she were with Max and Michael or in the company of her elite clique. She would not attend parties where The Whits were playing. And Max. Max was rarely with them. Oh, he's there alright. But only in body. Never in mind, in heart, in spirit. Whatever. She wasn't caught up in this human...stuff.

And if ever by sick chance they were all together in one room, it was always them that would usually bail out. Give the humans the space. We're outta here. Bye bye. Well, that would be even better if that happened soon enough. Bye bye earth, we're off to Antar. But while they were still stuck here, she had nothing better to do than watch as the humans made their way towards them. Closer and closer. Tess rolled her eyes, feeling the tension coming from her companions. Their usual escape would soon follow through. 

"I told you, I can't." Maria said, her voice filling the almost empty cafe. It was past noon. Lunch was over and this was the time the Crashdown's bustle would die out and be replaced by the silence of remaining customers who would usually just sit back and drink their cold drinks, too hot to talk and too humid to go out under the sun. This was her scheduled work today because Michael worked during mornings, so she had begged and bribed Mr. Parker to have this non-profitable schedule. She craned her neck and didn't find any spiky-haired sulking alien by the oven. He was usually out even before she arrived. Why would she expect this day to be different? Because she had felt him. Which was ridiculous if you thought about it. And she had. And she found this thought rather comforting. 

"You can't because?" Kyle prodded following her from behind.

"Because I've been running a fever on and off for two days now." She said rolling her eyes and sauntering over to the counter, never seeing the occupied booth at the near end of the cafe where the four aliens had suddenly stopped, riveted to the conversation. It was true, she had been getting the fever and it was the peak of summer for crying out loud! None of her usual aromatherapy worked and she had put half the blame on stress and the other half on Michael Guerin and his tendency to be an emotional cripple. She was convinced that the fever was all made up, that it was her brain heating up. Well, better her mind than her heart. 

"You should see a doctor." Alex said plopping himself down in a vacant booth. He hated the way his voice sounded, all flat and emotionless. He turned to Maria, "You should see a doctor," he repeated somewhat stupidly but this time he knew his eyes spoke of concern because Maria smiled at him and shook her head. She was playing "I'm a strong girl" today. Yesterday it had been "Angry girl". She had ranted about the whole Destiny thing and being stuck here in Roswell, New Mexico. The other day was "Sad miserable girl day" and he didn't know how well he had been acting with her, especially with all of her mood swings. He was no Liz Parker of course, there was a limit on how many hours of Michael Guerin centered conversations that he can take and the "I hate Michael Guerin" conversation can actually last for a whole day. He had somehow learned to block out Maria's words. He could hear her tone and when her tone is sad, bordering on misery, he'd pat her on the arms and nod slowly, not really knowing what was the cause of her tears. She hadn't been in an upbeat mood since Liz flew to Florida to wallow, and to hunt. Although, wallowing would be his better guess. Oh and yeah, he was also forcing himself not to think about Isabel. If he listened to Maria or half listened to her, there was a better chance that thoughts of Isabel crossing his mind were far less and even if he didn't want it that way, he had to...it was the only way not to feel hurt and betrayed.

Kyle smirked. "You should see Dave Patch." He had to keep the conversation away from…he stopped himself and shook his head. He mentioned Dave Patch because the football jock was of this earth, of their human race and so therefore it wouldn't really remind the three of them about...he stopped himself again and decided to keep the conversation moving to a more earthly topic, "He thinks you're hot." He added smiling at Maria. The blonde scowled at him and Kyle remembered that what Dave had actually said bordered more on wanting to get into her pants. He winced and mentally kicked himself. Dave Patch should just go and screw himself, just like what Michael Guerin should do and Max Evans too. He almost spat at the floor. Oh and yeah, had he mentioned that Max Evans had ruined his life and then saved it to probably ruin it more? At least that was his theory. And yes Kyle, you were supposed to be not thinking about them, remember?

Maria scowled and turned to look at Alex who only shrugged and drew a blank face. She returned her attention towards Kyle and narrowed her eyes, jabbing a finger on his chest, "Kyle, what part of 'I am not going to go skinning dipping with the rest of the football team' did you not understand?" She asked obviously irritated. She didn't want to party on, didn't think it was something that she could do, pretend to be happy. She was anything but happy, angry yes, a whole lot of anger there, and sorrow, maybe that too. 

"The whole bit. It's an invite thing only Maria." Kyle said, equally irritated that his efforts on trying to put some semblance of normalcy in his life as well as for Alex and Maria had been rebutted over and over again. He was getting tired of trying to think up things that would make them all feel like the normal, happy carefree teenagers that they were supposed to be.

"And I'm supposed to be happy that I was considered to be on this party?" Maria asked arching an eyebrow. "I haven't exactly been nice to any member of the football team, you including." 

"You and I and Liz used to hang out before." He said sounding as if "before" was a whole lot better than what they have "now", which was also true. Because what they had now was a bunch of jangled nerves, raw from fear, the heaviness of a universal conspiracy hanging two inches above their heads and broken hearts. 

_Broken hearts_, how so very poetic of you Valenti, he chided himself. And, of course, not to forget the fat load of bitterness stuck in their throats. 

Maria sighed nodding as Jose, the Crashdown's original resident cook, greeted her. She chose to ignore Kyle. She didn't know how to respond to his last retort. Before, past tense...past...it sounded so empty to her, like all of her 17 years of existence had been one big gap that was suddenly filled with all these, these alien-related activities that kept her awake all night, pondering on science and reality and sometimes insanity too. And so instead she sat herself at one of the stools, mindlessly playing with a red straw. Her mind wandered back to everything that had happened and the lessons she had thought she had learned from knowing the aliens...lessons on escaping crime scenes, getting all the evidence and then destroying them, friendship, trust and maybe, at some point, even love. She stared hard and deep at the straw and then suddenly the color of red reminded her of Michael. Realization hit her and she threw the straw angrily at the floor. 

"The reason you have a fever is hormones, babe." Kyle said trying to change the topic. Maria's sudden silence, Alex non-response told him that if he followed this conversation, it was going to head straight towards the one single topic that had occupied their every waking hour. Aliens. Yeah, they're in the middle of Roswell, New Mexico alright, just go with the damn flow. He picked up the straw that had seemed to burn Maria's hand. He regarded the seemingly inoffensive thing and then placed it again right in front of Maria. He leaned in closer. He opened his mouth as if to say something important but then he paused, scowled and sniffed near Maria's neck. He tilted his head for a moment, "Peaches. Jesus, try something that wouldn't make men automatically think of..."

"Of..." Alex said his voice indicating his sudden amusement.

"Of what Kyle?" Maria prodded, noting the redness of Kyle's neck and cheeks.

"Fruits...I was going to say fruits...ok?" he answered exasperated. 

"Right." Alex said rolling his eyes. "Fruits."

Kyle swore underneath his breath, quick to move out of DeLuca's personal space. Had he just thought what he thought he had just thought of? He shook his head and then headed towards Alex. "I give up." He said solemnly. He turned to look at Maria again, all blonde hair, green eyes and luscious lips, and peaches... "Yeah, you shouldn't go, you're just gonna whine and annoy the whole team." He said and then brought his attention to Alex. "You, on the other hand, you should go. Might score with the JV cheerleading squad."

"Younger girls are not exactly my type." Alex returned sighing heavily.

"And don't they all look alike?" Maria said nodding thoughtfully, "All blonde hair, blue eyes and perfect nails."

"Makes you wanna scream, right?" Kyle said, slouching in his chair. 

"Right." Alex repeated.

Maria sighed and stepped out of their view, disappearing through the double swinging door. She braced herself for the usual mind-numbing conversations they were going to have. Just stick with human-centered conversation and they'd all be fine. Yeah. That would be easy. The Pod Squad was making it easy for them too. Especially Michael, who would bolt out of the door as soon as he saw her. She gritted her teeth. That infuriating Alien!

The minute the humans had entered, Michael had wanted to bolt of the door. It was a good thing that they hadn't noticed them. Maria never once turned her head towards them. Which was fine. It was great even. It was exactly what he wanted from her. 

Right. Sure. Keep on telling yourself that Guerin. He shook his head and turned towards Tess who was sitting beside him. "Move." He ordered the blonde girl. Tess arched her eyebrows at him and he scowled at her. 

"Where are you going Michael?" Isabel asked suddenly panicked.

"Outta here." He answered. It wasn't like this was the first time he had run away as soon as he caught sight of Maria. Or Alex. Or Valenti. This situation was pretty much a familiar one for him. For them. Even Max Evans had been staying clear of the humans for some time now. He figured it was because the great King was never invited to Liz's sending off party. None of them were. But, oh, of course they were all there. They didn't gatecrash or anything. It just so happened that said sending off party had been in the desert. And no, he didn't want to remember that night. What he had heard. What he had found out still scared him. 

He was back to his usual routine of running away. Fucking alien coward that he was - running away from a harmless group of humans, specifically from a small blonde girl who could barely make a fist but who could hold so much strength in her eyes, in her arms, the way she would always pull him closer...he shook his head, clearing his thoughts. Stonewall, Guerin. Stone wall. He took a deep breath and pretended that his heart had calmed down. 

Out of the corner of his eyes he saw Valenti and Alex turning their heads towards them. He noticed the brief surprise that registered in their faces as Tess stood up to let him pass. Escape was actually the right word. He needed to be out of here before Maria can change into her uniform. Because if he wasn't out of the door by that time, it would be more difficult for him to even move away. Maria in her Crashdown uniform always made him want to stay a little longer. There were always sleazy guys who'd stare at her long legs and...

Shit. He was still stuck in his seat! God dammit. He stretched his body into its full height and was inching his way out of his seat when he heard her voice.

"So, boys, what'll you be having?"

The silence from Alex and Kyle did nothing to help the situation, because now he can feel her eyes on him. 

Shit.

"I'm going. Anyone else who wants to come with me?" He asked loudly. Enough eavesdropping for the day Guerin, he told himself. He had found out more than he'd like to know. And the next time he sees David Patch, he was going to kick the guy's teeth in. Or maybe just glare at him. Whatever. He looked at Isabel and then at Max and then turned to look at Tess, risking the little chance that he might catch a glimpse of Maria and...

And there she was. Standing by Valenti's and Alex's table, holding her pad up, pen pressed into the paper ready to jot down the order of the day. He swallowed hard and looked away. 

Did he look angry enough? Did Maria see how his eyes had wavered? How they had suddenly felt raw and stingy? Dust in his eyes. Yeah, that was it. Except, there isn't any dust here in the cafe, now is there? He cursed himself. 

He looked at Maxwell one last time. His best friend stared blankly at him. Michael sighed and nodded his goodbye. He strode off, walking stiffly, holding his chin as high as he can. God, her eyes were following him. He distantly heard Isabel getting up and following behind him. Looks like Izzy still wasn't ready to face Alex and Maria too. He pushed the door open with all his might. 

And God, even from here, now a good few feet away from her, he could still feel her. She was still watching him.

And he wanted more than anything else to turn around, storm in and grab her. And then, well, there was only one choice wasn't there?

Not gonna happen buddy. He told himself. He waited for Isabel and then, surprise, surprise Max and Tess too. As soon as the Crashdown door was closed, he walked swiftly away.

Away from her.

Away from his only Destiny.

"I've seen better walk outs." Kyle commented dryly watching the Pod Squad disappear into a corner. 

"What'll it be boys?" Maria repeated her question. She was gripping the pen tightly. He had looked at her. The briefest, tiniest second and he seemed...he seemed actually pained. Regretful even. But it could be that she was just wishing. Hallucinating. Seeing things that weren't there at all.  

Alex seemed to have finally realized that the aliens were now gone. He looked at Maria "I'll have the usual." He said with a half grimace. 


	3. Anger and Bruises

ANGER AND BRUISES  
  
His anger helped him a lot. But he hated it. And hating leads to rage - a whole lot more powerful than anger. So when Tess told him to concentrate hard on the rock in front of him, told him to use his power to break it, he used his anger. He thought of Hank.  
  
"Concentrate harder." Tess said from behind him, obviously expecting that the rock should be by now shattered into tiny little pieces.   
  
Michael cursed and then thought of his sorry life here in Roswell, New Mexico.   
  
The rock sat so still in front of him and it mocked him. So he thought of the mocking rock and stretched his arms, the palm of his hand facing the wall, ready to blast the goddamn piece of earth that Tess had picked up from the dessert.  
  
"Harder Michael."  
  
And for someone reason Michael thought of himself kissing Maria DeLuca. Hard on the lips and she would pull him tighter, and he knew that he could bruise her so easily. And he grew so angry at himself.   
  
The rock exploded, like it had a hundred grenades all rigged inside of it that in a mere second, a surprised breath echoing from Michael's lips, all that was left of it was dust. Tess had to cough from the sudden haze of smoke that filled Michael's apartment.  
  
"Good one." Tess said, sounding pleased with herself. "Now try this one." Tess said, placing a larger piece of rock on the already battered table.  
  
"Let's take a break." Michael said walking away. He turned towards the ref and got himself a bottle of water. He drank hungrily from it, trying to swallow the hard beating of his heart. It was so ridiculous that his heart would start pounding whenever he thought of Maria. And how she would love to know this fact. She would probably smile at him and her green eyes would get darker and she would tease him by leaning forward, pausing long enough to give him a chance to stare down at her cherry painted lips and then she would kiss the corner of his mouth. And that in turn would make him angry at her and he would grab her, harshly, so that she would never notice how his hand would shake at the contact and he would kiss her. Hard.  
  
"Michael?"  
  
He cursed again and turned away, pretending to put the bottle back inside the ref, he let the coldness wash through him. He shouldn't feel so warm, he shouldn't feel anything at all! "Yeah?"   
  
"You ok?" And the tone it held has the hint of amusement always present in everyone's voice whenever they talked to him and knew that his emotions were bothering him. It was as if they found the thought of him trying to struggle with his "emotions" was so goddamn funny. Funny, but not in the "ha-ha-ha" way. He hated this tone, among others, actually, he hated everything that has something to do with conversation and words. Words are just letters strewn together, it held so little truth or merit to him.   
  
Except when these words are heavily coated with Maria's voice. And then everything would be different.   
  
"Fine." He said curtly. He walked past Tess again, not meeting her eyes. He didn't trust her that much yet but since she was teaching him to gain control of his cursed alien powers, he didn't want her to see it in his eyes - the anger. The hatred and the envy. Oh and yeah, maybe, if he finds it in himself to dig deep enough, maybe even gratefulness. He sighed and turned to face her. "Let's try it again." He said, trying to convey as much gratefulness in his voice as he could muster.   
  
He could be grateful to Tess, he should. He really should. She was the one who showed them where the pods were, she was there when they got the message from Max's and Isabel's "holo-mom" that day on the cave, she gave them a lot of answers to their questions. She was part of their destiny.  
  
He clenched his jaws at the thought of Destiny.   
  
"No, we should be on our way." Tess said, grabbing her jacket. "Max said we should meet at the Crashdown by eleven." She pointed at the clock on Michael's wall. It read 11:15.   
  
Michael nodded silently and headed straight for the door. What King Max had planned didn't matter to him anymore. As far as he was concerned, Max can play king all he want. He just better be sure that when the time comes, when death is breathing down on their backs, Max would be the King to save their alien ass. For a second he was tempted to say no, to let Max wait it out in front of the closed Crashdown. It was so obvious that the alien king had been there, probably sitting at his old booth, thinking of Liz Parker. Or pestering Maria with any information about his ex-girlfriend.   
  
He bit his lips, trying to erase the picture of Max hovering beside Maria, touching her arms, using his brown puppy-eyed look to know whether Liz was asking about him, or if she ever mention him at all. Max was always at the Crashdown lately. And so was he. It was inevitable. He worked there. Burning in the heat of the oven, drowning himself in the endless chatter and clutter of the cafe, cooking, soaking on the smell of oil and grease. And bleeding. Watching Maria as she saunter in and out of the Crashdown. Trying his best not to look in her eyes, or if by chance he did meet her green orbs, he'd be sure to have something cruel to say. Cruelty makes her green eyes burn. He had thought that flames would be better suited if they were colored green and not the wild combination of blue, red, yellow and orange. Somehow, these colored seemed so dull, in contrast to the greenness of Maria DeLuca's eyes.  
  
He didn't have any jacket to put on. But that's ok. If he wanted to keep warm, all he had to do was think of Maria. He cursed himself again and the light bulb hanging by the door suddenly exploded.  
  
"Good one. But try not to do it in public places." Tess said, sounding so much like Max Evans. Patronizing. Always with an air of superiority. There, there, Mickey boy, I would help you. I'll get you out of trouble.   
  
"Yeah. Keep that in mind." He said, biting down the urge to tell her that he hadn't mean to, that it was just his anger, that he was so mad at himself for being Michael Guerin, for being an alien and a human at the same time, for having a Destiny to fulfill, for turning his back on Maria, for a lot of things actually, but he remained quiet instead. No sense in letting Tess see how weak and pathetic he was. She already knew that he couldn't even so much as control his power, why give her another reason to feel sorry for him.   
  
They walked together in silence. Tess had her hands inside her pocket and Michael briefly wondered how it was that on some days it felt like Roswell was burning straight from hell and then at night the cold would bit down on their skin. Fucked-up town, Michael thought decisively. He listened to the sound of his shoes scraping the road, to the empty clacking sound Tess' boots made every time her hills hit the black asphalt.   
  
He didn't know why Max had called for a meeting. He wasn't even aware of it until Tess told him. The fearless leader, King of Antar, making decision without so much as informing him - his second in command, his best friend. It feels so great to be trusted and needed he thought sarcastically. Michael clenched his jaws and shoved his pocket deeper into his jeans. Where was the anger now? The anger that was supposed to help him blow up things? He stared at the innocent lamp post and it remained still. He snorted at his inability to blow up one stupid lamp post.   
  
Max would be pissed. He didn't tolerate people being late, he would preach that late people showed no respect for others. The great King would say that being late showed how irresponsible a person is. And then Tess would explain that it was because she was busy teaching Michael how to control his power. And Max would find it in his heart to forgive Michael. He would then ask him how his "exploding rocks" had progressed.   
  
Michael bit his lips and then the insides of his cheeks. Rage. He needed it. Or else he would be forced to feel other emotions that he simply could never allow himself to feel. Like maybe pity, or guilt.   
  
He heard someone giggling. He knew who it was. There was only one person who could laugh like that and make him feel so wretched and so ridiculously happy at the same time.  
  
Maria.  
  
Like maybe love too.  
  
They turned at the corner and he saw Max Evans standing beside Maria DeLuca in front of the closed Crashdown. He felt the burning rage intensify that he had to stop for a while to fully drink in and comprehend the scene presented right in front of him. Tess had stopped abruptly too.  
  
Maria smiled up at Max and sucker-punched him in the arm. Max feigned hurt. Maria giggled again and began tossing her keys on the air, catching them and tossing it again. She was nervous. Max watched her for a while. And Michael felt as though Max was taking something away from him - looking at Maria like that, that near, for that long. Max caught the keys in mid air. Maria stopped, perplexed and looked at the great king questioningly. Max handed her the keys again and then touched her shoulder. Maria smiled up at him. Brightly, gratefully.   
  
Something inside Michael, some important internal human organ stopped and suddenly, he couldn't breath.   
  
"'C'mmon." Tess said. It was a command and Michael wanted to turn and glare at her but he couldn't quite take his eyes off Max and Maria. Did Max arranged this meeting? Did Max think that he could try and patch things up between him and Maria? Did Maria asked for this?   
  
Did he want this?  
  
He refused to answer that question. "Yeah." He said his voice rough enough to actually cut skin and make it bleed. He shove his hands inside his pocket and straightened his back. He walked briskly, without any sound coming off from his dirty well worn shoes. He reached Max and Maria but he didn't look at her. He kept his gaze straight at Max and blatantly ignored the girl beside him. He could feel her. And he sensed the slight shiver that passed through her body. He could also smell her and he marveled that she could still smell like spring, flowers and freshly cut grass, even though she had spent all of the afternoon inside the smoky kitchen of the Crashdown. She must be tired now. And he felt anger coursing through him once again.  
  
"What's up Maxwell?" He asked coldly. "Where's Isabel?"  
  
He couldn't resist the urge not to look at her. He cursed himself for this weakness but knew that he was never going to cure himself of it, so he stole a lightning fast glance at her direction, and inside he howled in pain when he saw the hurt and anger that flickered in her green eyes when he mentioned Isabel's name. He returned his attention at Max and he could see how irritated Max was with his behavior. What? Suddenly Max had become Maria's defender? Liz had gone off to Florida and Max had replaced her to become Maria's official "girl friend?" He gritted his teeth with the thought.  
  
Max opened his mouth but it was Maria's voice that he heard.   
  
"I'll head home Max. It's late. I...I...thanks anyway..."   
  
And she bolted away from them. Her steps were light and didn't make any noise like Tess' shoes. Now that he wouldn't be forced to look into her eyes, Michael was able to stare at her retreating form. She hurried to her car, parked just a foot away from them. She had longer hair now. There were wisps of it standing in all direction. When she stood still to open the car door, he could see the dark bags that formed below her eyes. She got in, started the engine and sped away into the night. She looked beautiful.  
  
She'd always look beautiful to him.  
  
  
  
  
  
Well that went well. Maria chided herself. She didn't even had one nasty remark to show Spaceboy that she could be insensitive too, that she could play his game. She was tired. It had been a long night at the Crashdown. And she just wanted to go home and curl on her bed and find solace in her sleep. But no, Max had to come up with a bright idea that she should stay for a while, he can get Michael to come and they can try to work it out. She knew it was a bad idea from the very start. Michael resented manipulation. If he wanted to talk to her, he could do it on his own time, on his own way. But Max had insisted. He insisted and because she was desperate she agreed.   
  
Hadn't she told Max that she didn't think it was a good idea to let Michael come to the Crashdown on the pretext of an important alien meeting? Hadn't she convinced herself just last night that if Michael didn't care for her anymore it was his lost and not hers?  
  
But she felt she knew that Michael did care for her. That even if they had spent most of their time arguing and the other half kissing, the whole time they were together meant something for Michael.  
  
At least she thought so.  
  
But standing there, with Michael not even looking at her, not even acknowledging her presence, like she wasn't there at all... like she was just a ghost, a shadow, a faded memory that just wouldn't go.... whatever. She shouldn't be trying to soothe her pain with metaphors that do not only fit her, but also sound cheesy and ridiculous. God, she should be writing this into a paper, what a dreamy pop song this would make. Girls are just gonna eat these all up.  
  
Maria scowled at herself in the mirror. You've gone too low DeLuca, too fucking low and what for? So that Guerin can treat you like trash. So that he can make you feel like the most unimportant person in the whole universe. There, DeLuca, she told herself sternly ignoring the aching on her throat, this just proves that he doesn't give a damn about you.   
  
And don't go telling yourself that you felt his eyes watching you as you walked away and you actually felt as though he needed you to actually breathe, because Maria, you are just delusional. Fucking delusional!  
  
And remember, he had asked Max for Isabel and not you. Did you notice the way he said her name? Isabel...like it was candy, rolled off his tongue.  
  
And how would he call you? Ma-ria. Always angry. Always roughly. In fact, if it was quite possible, for all the time that he had called your name, you would've have a dozen scars by now. Little cuts that would bleed every time.   
  
Every fucking time!  
  
Well, this was the limit. Maria thought getting worked up. Oh, yeah, get angry DeLuca.   
No sense in feeling sorry for yourself. Take it all out on Michael.   
  
She had done her part. She had done everything to reach out to him. She wasn't even dreaming of having a nice normal relationship with him anymore. That would be asking too much. And that wouldn't be fair for him either. What she wanted was for him to understand that she was strong enough to be let in. To be made his equal, his partner, his friend, and maybe sometime, in the next millennium, his girlfriend too, his lover, forget wife - no, she knew that was just next to impossible.   
  
She just wanted to be there for him. Was that so much to ask for? He needed her and he was just too stubborn to admit it, even to himself, she guessed. Well fine. She'll give him time. Oh, plenty of time. The whole summer would be enough for him. She wasn't going to beg and threaten anymore. Michael will come to her. He always does. And until that time comes, she'd have to give him the space. She didn't want to be, but she knew that she would always be here, waiting for him. Because she loved him.  
  
God, she needed to tell him that so much. Just so that he knows. Because she had made the mistake of letting him walk away. And she was paying for it now. She just wished he'd let her... Oh! She didn't know what Michael wanted from her. Maria cursed as she let the Jetta swerve to the other lane. Relax. Don't get yourself killed thinking about Guerin. She shook her head and was at it again before she can even stop herself.  
  
She was so screwed. She couldn't think like Michael Guerin. She had tried once and she had to call in sick the next morning. Headache. The worst kind actually. She had long given up on trying to understand him. Because as far as she knows, he didn't want to be understood. He hated it when people try to understand him. They can never do. Because they weren't like him. No one is. Not Max, not Isabel, not Tess. No one. And he prided himself for that. And she loved him for that. She loved him for all the right and wrong reason. Which, really, is the formula for instant heartbreak.   
  
Damn him. Damn him and his kisses and his touch, his eyes, his hands, his anger, his silent vulnerability, his stonewall. She was so addicted to him. Everything about him fascinated her, excited her, made her feel weak and alive...too many emotions in just a span of a second, his skin hot against her...   
  
"I'm never going to think about Michael Guerin again especially when I'm driving!" Maria announced, vowing fiercely, knowing deep down, said vow would be broken in record time. Michael was always an exception.   
  
He'd do crazy, irrational things so that no one can second-guess him, so that no one can predict what he'd do next. He loved seeing the surprise look on people when he do something so out of character for him, which is in truth is just so Michael-ish of him... and she couldn't believe the amount of Michael knowledge she has and still be so clueless and naïve. And maybe it was time that she give this stupid chase up. He didn't want to be caught. She was tired of running. He'd stop soon enough but when will she ever be able to walk beside him, in stride, not behind, and not in front of him?  
  
She was going crazy. She is. No doubt about it. Michael Gurein had ruined her sound mind and body. She banged her head at the window. What a great summer she was having. She could only wish that Liz Parker was having a better one than her. 


	4. Dead Stars

ROSWELL SUMMER VIGNETTES  
  
Title: Dead Star 

Author: purplemud 

E-mail: purplewitch10@yahoo.com / mudcandies@hotmail.com

Disclaimers: Roswell does not belong to me. Standard Disclaimers apply 

Rating: Mostly PG 13 for language. 

Summary: Liz writing on her journal. 

Author's Note: Please feel free to leave your reviews, comments, criticisms, flames; you can tell me anything and everything you want. I appreciate them all. Thanks for your time and hope you enjoy reading! Many thanks to Diane who patiently beta-reads for me!  
  
  


**DEAD STARS**

  
  
Her journal entry was short. Too short actually and Liz Parker wondered if she was indeed having fun.  
  
Having fun.  
  
They were the exact words she had written on her journal. Liz Parker, the journal keeper - woman of few words. She snorted at that. Not her. More like: Liz Parker, the girl who won every Science Award during her middle school days and even as far as her Junior High days. Liz Parker, the one who lived to tell...or not to tell the truth that yes, people of America, the whole world even, they are among us. And she was in love with one of them.  
  
She sighed and tucked a stray brown hair behind her ear. She banished all thoughts about the alien king, tried not to think that it sounded oh, so fairy-tale-ish to her. She reminded herself that she didn't believe in tales of princesses and dragons and wicked stepsisters and magic spells. She believed in atoms and molecular bonds, in friction, gravity, energy and chemical formulas.  
  
She wondered instead on how the inhabitants of Roswell, New Mexico were surviving the summer heat. She wondered if nature was again breathing down its hot fiery breath on the desert floor and air of Roswell. She wondered, if at night, it ever got cold there. She wondered how her parents were doing. She last talked to them an hour ago and they seemed to be quite alright. Happy in fact, they weren't asking her to go home or anything. They had insisted that she have fun. She wondered if the Crashdown Cafe was doing well. She would guess that there would be about a hundred tourists now walking across the oh-so fabled town of theirs. Taking pictures of the front of the UFO Museum, buying postcards that have aliens with green skins wearing bright Hawaiian T-shirts dancing the Hula; maybe some of the tourists are visiting Mrs. DeLuca's store and getting alien key chains and Maria's favorite - the little alien dolls that were just about the size of Voodoo dolls. She sighed, Florida's a beautiful state and all, but it bored her. No jumping off the bridges here. No dodging of FBI agents.  
  
And then with a shrug, she allowed herself to think of Max Evans. And with that another list popped into her head. No late-night kisses on the rooftop, no heavy making out at the Crashdown, no necking in the eraser room...  
  
She sighed and berated herself for thinking of him and of course, automatically bringing misery down upon her. And maybe even regret.  
  
No, no. Regret is such a heavy word, it's so...so painful. Like goodbye. And of course, Destiny.  
  
Before she went away for the summer she had talked to Maria about Destiny and they shared the same passion in hating it. She hated it because she knew that she has to succumb to it. There was no other way to defeat it. She would be fighting against something that was so strong, so final...and because all she ever wanted for Max Evans was for him to find his real home, his real self, she walked away and let him have his Destiny, no matter how painful it was knowing that his past, his future, and now his present lies not with her, but with Tess. Max's Queen.  
  
Maria on the other hand hated Destiny because it was crap, it was a lot of bullsh*t to her and she hated it with passion because Michael believed in it. At least that was what the spiky-haired alien had told Maria, that and I love you and then walking away.  
  
Liz had asked Maria what she would do about Michael and Isabel's destiny. Liz remembered the way Maria thought about it. Long and hard and then, smiling her Maria-smile, she told her that she intended to show Michael what real Destiny means.  
  
And what would that be? She had asked, knowing that Maria, not always that articulate would go on babbling about Destiny lying within the charts of stars and moons and planets...one of which the Pod Squad could actually belong in. Oh, but no one has discovered planet Antar yet. Maybe it even exists in another solar system, she thought idly.  
  
Well that wasn't her problem then. She sighed and remembered Maria's answer. What Maria had said stayed with her. In fact, at times like this, it haunted her and she berated herself for being weak and succumbing to the angry claws of Destiny that tore her away from Max Evans. The guy who saved her life so that she could finally live.  
  
Maria had told her that Destiny, their Destiny, hers, Max's, Michael's, everyone's destiny was made from choices.  
  
It wasn't ordered around, it wasn't planned and it wasn't based on a life two million light years away from earth. What mattered was now...the choices that they will make - that will shape their Destiny. Their real Destiny. Maria had said it with such conviction that at that time, Liz had felt sorry for her. And now, a thousand miles away from home, she felt the exact same way, this time for herself.  
  
She wished she had Maria's courage. She wished she could risk her heart like that. But she couldn't. In a deeper sense, she knew that more than anything it was for her own good. She didn't want to be blamed. She couldn't imagine how it would feel ten years from now with Max Evans standing in front of her, blaming her, hating her for not giving him the freedom to choose. For insisting upon him her feelings, her heart, the Destiny that she wanted them to have.  
  
If she gave in and looked away, it was because she decided that there was no other choice for her.  
  
She wondered if any of the aliens were ever regretting what had happened to them this year. Granted that it had been Max's decision to heal her and tell her the truth, she knew it had been a lot to take for Isabel and Michael, and maybe even for Tess too.  
  
The night before she left Roswell for the summer, being the science-girl that she was, she had looked at the situation in every possible angle to process, to examine and evaluate.  
  
She wrote the pros and cons. Saw to it that in some way she could draw out a conclusion, one that is based on facts, and therefore, could provide her with something logical, something concrete, something to keep her sane. She decided that the best way to deal with the situation was to be logical and probing. And although her experiences from last year were far from being logical, sometimes even defying Science, (at least the Science that she thought she knew so well), she was driven to seek for the scientific explanation for everything. To be detached from everything and everyone. And in that way, she had pounded the truth inside her head: Max has his own Destiny apart from her.  
  
Sometimes, she even wished she wasn't like that.  
  
But she was and that was why she opted to run away. Because despite what she told Max, she knew that she couldn't deal with seeing Max and Tess trying to figure out their Destiny. She also knew that with her hovering about, a silent shadow, Max and Tess would never be able to realize and understand their Destiny.  
  
She understood this much: Max's responsibility, his life, rested within that planet, with his people, beside his wife, his queen. She shouldn't feel betrayed, she shouldn't think of herself, because if she did, then she would be selfish and she would be taking something away from Max. His choice. To choose between her, their love and his Destiny. Max was sure he had already made the choice, that it was the right one. But how can he be sure when he was thinking with his heart and not with his mind? And so she opted to be the one who'd be blind and stubborn or logical, as she would like to call it.  
  
Deep down, she knew it was unfair. For her, for Maria, for Max, at some level maybe even for Tess.  
  
She shook her head and stared at the words scribbled so languidly at her journal:  
  
"I'm having fun."  
  
She didn't feel like she was having fun at all. But she ignored that feeling. If she stopped and let herself feel for that long she would have packed her things and flown home, telling Max Evans that she was wrong and Maria was right. Destiny is in their hands and not written across dead stars.


	5. Cliches

CLICHES  
  
The usual bustle of Crashdown had died down. The smell of grease was slowly evaporating and one by one waitresses were exiting the cafe, clutching at their folded aquamarine uniform. Most of the chairs were now upturned, tables almost gleaming, spotless clean and no longer reeked of spilled Tabasco and mustard. The noises from the kitchen, the slamming of pots, the sound of sizzling meat and knives hitting chopping boards could no longer be heard. In fact, one would think that the cafe no longer existed had there not been few people sitting by the booths, silently moving their heads to the soft music that was playing. It sounded like something by The Doors, but it was too muffled for someone to actually name the song, it did however held that tune that struck invisible chords on people's memory, making them want to stay at the cafe, cooped up, no place to go home. Probably still not wanting to go home.   
  
This was not an unusual scene. It was almost 11 p.m. way past the closing time, but there were still few patrons languidly eating. It was a Saturday night, the second Saturday night of the summer vacation. Days here on Roswell crawled by, never fast enough. Everything stretches on up until the very last second of midnight. It felt as though the whole town was at a stand still. Waiting in abated breath to see which one of the inhabitants would actually come alive and live the promises of summer.  
  
There were tourists milling about every day, but if you grew up at this town, even the thousands of alien aficionados pouring in by buses loses its novelty. And so the young and the restless felt the sudden need to party every damn Saturday night, no matter how lame of an excuse they have. It was quite expected that after all the parties there would be a handful of those young people hanging out, sipping coffee and trying to look oh so cool, older, sophisticated, like they actually belong, when in truth they are more detached than they'd like to admit.   
  
Been there done that, Isabel Evans thought idly as she flipped her golden hair. She looked stunning. Not a hair out of place, manicured nails the color of deep blood red, make-up still intact, no sign of stress or sweat or anything that would make her look less perfect. She was perfect. She had just finished chatting up with her clique, sharing every gossip that had echoed through the halls of Roswell High. She had been party hopping all night and she was bored to death by all of it. Suddenly everything seemed so normal to her. She could never be normal though, not in this lifetime. But hey, she was still gorgeous and people have to give her that.   
  
She sipped her diet Coke and watched the couple seating two tables away from them. She tilted her head and tried to name the guy but she couldn't remember him from any team, not even the JV soccer team that she normally would never even give the time of her day. Probably some sophomore loser. The girl however looked like someone who could belong in her crowd. She had the right clothes; the right hairstyle and even the classic flip of the hair. Another Isabel clone in the making. The boy looked obviously smitten and she could tell that this was one of those dates that would lead not to some major make out session but to an all night drilling on how to get the school's record security code.  
  
Roswell, New Mexico what a perfect cliche.  
  
Michael was heading towards them. The dirt stained apron was still wrapped on his body. There were patches of dark brown stains, bright red ones and drips of yellow mustard all over his apron. He was like a walking palette of stains and they looked like they had been there ever since the beginning of time. Like maybe there, that old Tabasco stain that was turning into the color of rust, probably been there since the Ice Age, three billion years ago. She squinched up her nose in disgust. Even if Michael begged her to run her hand on that piece of rug to clean it with her alien power, there was no way she was going to do it. Not even for friendship's sake. There was a limit on how saintly she can get.   
  
As Michael neared them she could smell grease and oil and even all the poor meat patties that Michael had burned. Isabel loved Michael but in her opinion, this was the lamest job Michael could ever get, but did he, the class alien-rebel cared? No. He was perfectly fine with flipping burgers and yelling out orders. In fact, she had a feeling that he was actually happy here. She leaned back on her seat and watched as Michael scowled and sat himself beside Tess, directly in front of her.   
  
Isabel looked at Michael and decided that he was indeed immensely enjoying being the resident cook of Crashdown. As long as he was working with Maria, then he was fine. Of course he was always mad at her for some reason, in fact, as Michael opened his mouth, she was sure that he was going to rant about the blonde girl.  
  
"I can't believe Maria didn't work today!" He said gritting his teeth. "Now I'm gonna have to do the closing!" He whined some more.  
  
Bingo. Isabel thought, satisfied with herself. Everything was so damn predictable. Why doesn't he just say it as she hears it, "I miss Maria."  
  
That's right, because Michael was hell bent on fulfilling their glorious Destiny.   
  
"Maria needed to go to Sedona to pick something up for her mother." Max answered absentmindedly as he looked outside the window. There was nothing outside that could possibly catch his attention, but Isabel guessed that her brother just didn't want to look at Michael.   
  
Isabel turned expectantly at the her supposed "Destiny." Ohhh, that gotta hurt, she thought not unkindly, just a little surprised at the turn of events. Suddenly Max knows more about Maria than Michael. But if you think about it, this also was inevitable, expected even.   
  
She caught Michael in one of his rare unguarded moments. His eyes were darker, pained. As if he had caught Max and Maria locked in a passionate kiss. And Isabel wanted to actually laugh at this. The irony of it all. Max betraying Liz for Maria DeLuca, now that would be a signal of the apocalyptic kind.  
  
Michael did a quick cover up and scowled even more. But there was still the pained surprise in his eyes. "Yeah? I didn't know you were keeping track of Maria's activities." He jabbed at Max and Isabel could feel Max tensing up with the tone of Michael's voice.   
  
Max glanced at Michael for a brief moment and then went back to amusing himself with the lamppost by the street corner. Isabel wanted to shake Max, wake him up, drag him out of his shell, but she knew she never had that power over him. Only Liz Parker and she was somewhere in Florida, basking in the summer sun, getting a great tan, while she was stuck here with all these alien secrets, a moody brother-king his angry General and of course Queen Tess. What a bunch of happy teen-age alien they were.   
  
"Yo, Maxwell, I was under the impression that we're talking here." Michael said, still not willing to let go of the topic.  
  
Isabel rolled her eyes. Does she have to be the one to diffuse every Michael-Max tension? "Michael." She said arching her perfectly plucked eyebrows. A perfect warning there. Clear and oh-so simple. So Isabel Evans of her. Of course, Michael totally ignored her.  
  
"Yeah, Max, I didn't know you and Maria were that close." Tess injected and Isabel had to roll her eyes. She glared at Tess, the famous Isabel Evans glare that made people stop dead in their tracks, blood frozen in their veins. She hadn't thought about it, but with Tess seemingly unaffected, she suddenly wondered if the previous reactions her glare had generated had something to do with her alien powers. Now well, there's a thought, she mused. Isabel Evans, Alien Ice Queen.   
  
Max sighed and faced the table, "I'm not keeping track of her schedule ok? She just happened to mention it to me last time we talked." He didn't sound defensive, just tired. And Isabel automatically took her brother's hand from underneath the table and gave it a squeeze. "If Maria's not talking to you it's not my fault nor is it any of my business." Max continued suddenly jerking his body, making the motion of standing up.   
  
"Wait, Max, where are you going?" Tess asked, obviously ready to go and follow her King.   
  
Romantic, Isabel thought idly. But Tess was no Liz Parker and she knew that Max knows this all too well.   
  
"Home." Max announced, knowing that Tess wouldn't likely to follow him there. Oh she could, but the more she followed him, doted upon him, adored him, love him, the more he pushed her away. Tess remained silent and pretended not to be in the least bit affected by all these drama. Truth of the matter was, it bored her. All of these late night dinners and get together. As though they needed every damn day to remind themselves that they belonged together, to Antar and anyone or anywhere else was just a faded memory or a hopeless want or a dream. It didn't matter. Their Destiny was to be fulfilled and that was that. They could all pretend that they have a choice, but in reality they never did. She sipped her drink and stared coldly into the night.   
  
Max looked at Isabel. He need not speak; his eyes were already ordering her to move. To let him get away and once again escape, fade, whatever term suited him. He just wanted to get away from everything.   
  
Isabel knew this and she also knew that even if she told Max that it was important for her that he stayed here and try to at least have one normal happy conversation, he wouldn't listen to her. Not one of them can change Max's mind. He was going, period. No questions should be asked. She heard Michael snort and she gritted her teeth. Her brother and Michael were acting like a bunch of six years old in a power struggle. Who gets to play Commando and who gets to be the Soldier. Well, it's not like they had a choice there. And its not like they've haven't sat down and talked about it. Oh, they all had countless alien meetings at the dessert, at their home, at Michael's apartment, but they always seemed to skirt around the issue. The real issue.   
  
"Isabel." Max finally said, still stuck in his seat.  
  
"Let the King pass, Isabel." Michael said sneering.   
  
"Michael, shut-up." She looked at Tess, "And you too." Tess briefly looked a little hurt, but she quickly shrugged and pretended not to hear her. Isabel figured that it was rather easy for Tess. She grew up human, but detached to the concept of humanity. She wasn't sure whether she should be jealous of this or be thankful that she hadn't grown to be less human. Thankful she decided. She was thankful. She needed her emotions. Needed other people's emotion.   
  
"God, I am sick and tired of all these!" Isabel said in a low voice. "Michael stop being angry ok. It isn't anyone's fault that Max turned out to be the King or that we have this whole Destiny to fulfill." She caught Michael opening his mouth Isabel cut him off shaking her head. She took a deep breath and then turned at Max, "And Max, stop feeling sorry for yourself. Liz is in Florida. Get over it. You're not the only one suffering here!" There was a silent pause and then she slid off the booth to let Max go.   
  
Max sighed and opened his mouth, "I'm...I'm sorry...I just need some time..." he trailed off and was out of the cafe even before anyone can say anything. Another pause. Isabel couldn't believe just what she had said, but it was time somebody snapped Max out of his pity-party. And she was right, Max was not the only one who was suffering.   
  
"Is, I am not mad that Max is the king." Michael said sounding tired and defeated as well.  
  
"Well, stop making him feel that way." Isabel countered. "Look, no one's forcing us to take this whole Destiny crap. I don't want it." She stopped, surprised that she had finally blurted it out. She swallowed hard. "I want to live my life as Isabel Evans and not someone who lived a billion light years ago in some distant corner of the universe. I don't know about the two of you, but I'm tired of pretending to understand our Destiny, of pretending to want it. All I know is that my mother, my real mother would want me to be happy and that's what I'm going to do." She grabbed her purse.   
  
"Isabel..."  
  
She turned at Michael. She shook her head, "Look at you. You're miserable without her. You don't want to admit it, but it's true. Everyone on this freakin' planet knows it. Trust me Michael. I wish I can make you happy but I can't. I love you. You're my brother… you have to understand Michael." There was a pleading note in her voice and she chided herself for that. Isabel Evans stands up for what she likes. And what she likes, she gets, she didn't have to beg. But with Michael, she felt like she owed him at least her honesty and the real Isabel Evans, stripped with all the cliches that she has become. He deserved to be treated this way, like a brother. She took his hand and squeezed it.  
  
Michael stared at their joined hands and kept his eyes away from her. He seemed to be struggling for words, emotions, maybe some of his inner demons. She only held on tighter. Finally, Michael looked up and met her eyes. "I understand Isabel. Thank you."   
  
She could hear the raw relief on his voice and she laughed out loud, "That sounded like a rejection."  
  
"Is..."  
  
"I'm just kidding." She rolled her eyes wanting to be far, far from this sulky group of alien hybrids. She looked around and noticed that they were almost alone inside the cafe, even the couple she had been watching a minute ago was gone. God, was that only a minute ago? She felt as though a whole eternity had passed. Well, she was glad it didn't take that long to finally make her choice. She was going to make her own Destiny. She stood up and looked at Michael affectionately, "Call her Michael." She said smiling at him.  
  
Michael sighed and shook his head.   
  
Isabel nodded. She turned at Tess and managed a smile, "Nothing personal Tess." The alien queen waved her hand and returned to sipping her soda. Isabel took a deep breath, straightened her back and sauntered off the cafe, flipping her hair as she stepped outside. She paused and looked around her for a while. The streets of Roswell were now empty, looking less menacing than ever. Maybe things wouldn't turn out so bad after all. She heard a shuffle of feet and she quickly turned around.   
  
Isabel's eyes grew large and her mouth hanged open. There, by the same lamppost that Max had been staring stood the geeky boy and the hot girl, in a major making out session oblivious to the world around them.  
  
Isabel let out a chuckle and stared up the sky. The stars were exceptionally bright tonight. They seemed to be winking at her, some silent secret passed between them and for the first time since she left the cave, she felt really happy. She smiled and started to walk away, suddenly filled with the urge to call Alex and tell him about the geeky boy and the hot cheerleader. And everything else. Alex would love to hear about it. And she'd love to hear his voice again. 


	6. Goodbye, Football Camp

GOODBYE, FOOTBALL CAMP  
  
The pages were crumpled, the corners of each paper were folded and there were dirt stains on them. He didn't want to dwell too much on what had been the cause of the stains, especially with those that had the color of blood. Because the color of blood always reminded him of his own blood and how it had seeped from a bullet wound, how it created the littlest puddle on the dark floor and how desperate and vulnerable his father had been that very second.   
  
The great Sheriff Valenti, shaking as he begged Max Evans to heal, bring his son back. It was something to see your father that way... gone was the booming voice, the tone of authority that he always used even with his son... and maybe with his wife too... but that would be another memory altogether.   
  
Back to his father suddenly looking so very small and terrified...not just scared but terrified and the years and years of secret rage and fear dissolved, seeping away with his blood. And whatever it was that Max Evans did had stopped the flow of blood, had closed the wound and in fact had kept him alive. But worse, not as bad as dying maybe, but still getting the number three spot on his Top Ten Things that could ruin your life and sanity... he was finally let in on the secret that eluded him the whole year. He had been given perhaps the unofficial welcome in their Alien Anonymous Conspiracy Group that consisted of three humans and four aliens. The fearless leader was Max Evans, the guy who had stolen Liz Parker from him. The girl he had really gotten serious with, forget love...love he wasn't so sure anymore.   
  
It also, to that very day, made his dad the only adult - a sheriff at that - in the history of this fucked up earth to be indebted to aliens, well at least to his knowledge. There wasn't anyone he knew he could check with this fact, so he held that honor to his father. He deserved it. They both did - him and his dad. Anyway, Max saving his life had bound his father into doing whatever and beyond of his power to protect and cover up for the aliens. And were not just of the illegal kind here. It would have been easier if that had been the case, but no, we're talking about the term "alien" that would send Spielberg and Hollywood into tears of glee, the FBI in a frenzy...hell, this was what Asimov and the whole lot of Trekkie fans out there were waiting for. A vindication. A big laugh in the face "I told you all so!"   
  
And for a stupid piece of paper to bring these all to him was beyond comprehension. In fact, if he could be honest about it, it actually scared him shitless. Not just what the next year and the years to come would do to him and his dad, but at how suddenly everything around him was changing at a speed so fast it made his head swirl in endless circles.  
  
What a field day psychologists are gonna have from him, A Case Study On How A 17 Male Would React After Finding Out That An Alien Saved His Life. And the last thing he needed was a shrink. Kyle Valenti and a fucking shrink. Another prime example of how fast the changes were coming to him. God, he was happy being a dumb jock! And now he had to have this knowledge that for some reason brought out every little fear he had kept since he was a child surfacing, breaking free, just like his wound - blood seeping so freely, soaking him, drowning him, like tidal waves, engulfing him, smothering him… Armageddon has cometh, he thought somewhat stupidly.   
  
He shook his head and tried to clear his muddled brain. Armageddon didn't have aliens blowing up the earth, that was Independence Day. Wrong film. He stared at the paper again, cursing it with passion and clutching it as though it held the answers for him. It was the most unusual thing Kyle Valenti ever took interest on, except when you count the time he had gotten a hold of a gay porn magazine at their locker room and he almost - almost never got the lewd pictures out of his head.  
  
This one though was quite different. Actually, it was a pamphlet on religion. Oh, yeah Valenti, do something that would screw your life more. He fingered the dirt eaten paper, smoothing some of the creases and thought of why he had chanced upon this thing on a hot humid day at an empty booth at Crashdown Cafe. And at a time when he's oh-so-fucked-up in the head just because aliens existed and one of them healed him.   
  
Does that mean that somehow they owned him know? How did Max heal him anyway? Did he reached out inside of him, tiny little tentacles, invisible to the naked eyes skating, slithering through his flesh, pulling his skin so that the wound could close? But that sounded something straight out of a science fiction novel. There were other questions that bugged him. What was the silver handprint over his chest that stayed for about three days and then disappeared? Was that some sort of a mark? For future references? And more importantly what did his visions meant? Were there even visions or dreams?   
  
Oh God. He clutched at the paper again, squinting at the words, trying to sort his muddled mind. Which was real and which was imagined. He was so fucking paranoid you'd think he'd had a yearlong session with Michael Guerin or something. Oh, and did he mention that Guerin happened to be just one of the four aliens? God, four. Last time it was just the three of them, who knows, maybe they'd be popping up next week. Four, eight, sixteen, ten billion.   
  
Who would've thought that he held these much thought inside his head, when all his life, he had heard people sneering behind him, "dumb jock" Like it was stitched to his jacket, or jersey, or to go to the extremes, on his forehead. Big bold black letters: DUMB JOCK. He sneered at this, humored himself with a mental picture of Max Evans with big bold black letters plastered on his forehead, "ALIEN SAP" and Guerin with, "PARANOID TIMES TEN TO THE POWER OF INFINITY"   
  
Damn, it's so hot. He fanned himself with the paper and the big bold black letter printed on it caught his eyes again. It was as if he was seeing it for the first time. A calling, he had to heed. He read the brochure again, this time his head clear with thoughts. He was immersed in it when he heard her voice.   
  
"What's that?"  
  
He quickly shoved the paper on the back pocket of his jeans and then glanced at Maria. "Nothing" He answered tilting his head to get a better view of her. He caught the grin playing on her lips. "It was nothing ok?"   
  
She was wearing a pony tail today and he noticed that her blonde hair had grown a little longer and she had that, well, he wouldn't tell this to anyone, but she had her "Lolita" look back. Blonde curls, big green eyes and that lusty lips....  
  
Wrong line of thought again, he berated himself. Stop thinking like Guerin. It was Max who healed you dammit, if you should start acting like one of them, oh good God please don't let that happen, he should be more inclined to act like Evans...broody and oh-so- Liz centered. He looked up again at his Lolita and paused solemnly, Maria, would you like to hold my head while I gag?  
  
"What are you staring at?" Maria asked narrowing her eyes, green eyes flashing, suddenly losing that little girl look. Teflon Babe back, holding her defensive stance. All males, after all are pigs.   
  
Did Guerin ever knew that before Maria's dad left them everyone he knew used to call Maria "Sunshine?" No. He bet Michael didn't know that. Maria scowled and repeated her question, her voice taking on an edge. "Nothing." He replied quickly and then rolled his eyes in mock exasperation.   
  
"You're acting so weird Kyle." Maria said this time smiling down at him. Little girl again. Hide and seek mind games - developed from Guerin probably. Her smile was kind and knowing like two kids huddling by the park, smiling at a shared secret.   
  
A secret that would drive them all to their deaths.   
  
"Kyle? Are you being a dumb jock again?" He glared at her and then lowered his eyes before she caught the hatred it held. He wasn't mad at her. He was mad at himself.   
  
"Ok, that's it. Call me when you're back here on earth, ok?" Maria sauntered off and headed towards another booth. He watched her go and then suddenly felt the prickling sensation on his skin and the hair on the back of his neck stood. He straightened his back, now feeling the stare coming off from behind him. He clenched his jaws and then turned angrily.  
  
From his spot he could see the Martian at the kitchen window. Guerin was sending him the death glare. The alien had his jaws clenched and his arms crossed against his chest, totally forgetting the burgers that he was supposed to be cooking - or burning as he was more likely to do.   
  
Kyle narrowed his eyes and glared back at him. Same hateful glare, slanted eyes, clenched fists and jaws. Belatedly he wondered why Guerin was looking at him that way. What had he done now? He stared back and it was quite obvious to him that the Martian wasn't the type to back down on a staring contest. How pathetic, Kyle thought. He's probably pissed that Maria was hovering about me. With a last look of disgust he shook his head in the typical male, what a loser shake of head that he had learned early on and then went back to facing his almost forgotten brochure. He stared at it long and hard. And then, with a "what the hell" shrug, he made up his mind and finally let go of the paper.   
  
He called Maria and made extra effort so that she was leaning so closely at him and he felt the glare at the back of his head intensify. God, he hope the Martian hadn't yet developed his laser eye beam or whatever. He thanked Maria and watched her as she walked towards the Martian cook. There was an air of tension about them. Michael hadn't taken his eyes off him but he could see him asking Maria something. Maria rolled her eyes and walked away without so much glancing at Michael. Ha! Take that! He smirked and then ducked his head. He hoped Michael hadn't caught the triumphant sneer. And then, he uttered a silent prayed that Guerin wasn't decided in burning a hole at the back of his head, which was how it actually felt right now.   
  
Shoving all thoughts of anything out of this earth, he picked the paper again and smiled for the first time. A real amused smile. Valenti, you are so out of your fucking head.  
  
On the paper, in big bold black letters was the single word that made him smile: BUDDHISM.  
  
Goodbye football camp, hello Buddha, Kyle thought shaking his head, the smile still playing on his lips. 


	7. Sandbox

**Roswell Summer Vignettes**

**By:** Grace (purplemud)

Standard Disclaimers apply

**Rating**: T for language.

**Summary**: Max and Maria's friendship

**Notes**: Aha! After not updating this for years (and I mean **_years_**) guess what I have been doing lately? That's right, watching season 1 Roswell. It was sooo good wasn't it? And the cellphones then were huge! So yeah, I've posted this a long time ago over at the Candy is Dandy Board and well, I figured, why not here as well. Anyway, hope you enjoy. We're kicking it back Roswell old school style!

* * *

**_Sandbox_**

He heard the door slam shut. Great. Another pointless argument - this time with his sister. Isabel had looked like she really was going to hit him in the head or freeze him up. And that sounded fine with him. In fact he sort of thought it would capture exactly what he was feeling. Cold and numb.

Max Evans let out a long sigh and sat at the edge of his bed. Isabel had barged in his room asking him to come with them to another dessert trip: Let's all look at our pod chambers and ponder on the mystery of our alien lives.

Well, he wasn't in the mood to go trekking in the dessert at this time of the night. And he wasn't sure how to deal with both Tess and Michael. And as always a talk about their alien origin and his lack of interest had ended up in another heated argument.

Max groaned out loud. At the rate he was going he would have no friend by the start of the school year. Michael's pissed at his no-action policy, Tess resented his cold treatment and now he was driving Isabel to hate him too. His relationship with his alien counterparts was no better than with the humans too. Liz, love of his life, had run away to Florida to be as far away from him as possible. Alex wasn't talking to him unless he talked to him first. Kyle always had a disgusted glare ready for him, at least Maria had been patient with all of his Liz Questions.

He crossed his arms and let his mind drift back to conversation that had culminated to Isabel's slamming of door.

_"Like what? Stare up the ceiling and wallow?" Isabel had snapped at him._

_"No." He said calmly, already doing the staring up the ceiling part. He cursed softly and stood up, walking towards his window. "Look, you can do this without me." He had answered his back against Isabel._

_"Max, you're our leader, you're supposed to lead us." Isabel reminded him._

_"To what? Lead you to what?" He burst out angrily. "Nasedo told us to just lay low for the summer, after the whole thing with the FBI..." he trailed off not wanting to be reminded of how it had been being captured and tortured. Lying there on that metal bed he had felt as though he was an animal being laid out for dissection. And it scared him. To be so hopeless. And now he was supposed to lead his sister and his bestfriend to fight off unnamed enemies. How was he going to do that when all he had done this whole year was screw up everyone's lives?_

_Didn't they know that he already felt bad enough for dragging in the humans to their secret? Didn't they understand the mental tortures he had night after night, deliberating whether or not he had the right to save Liz Parker in the first place and basically proceed to wreck havoc on their carefully covered-up-human-normal life? That every night he was reminded of how selfish he really was. Selfish. A selfish boy-king. No wonder they all died in their previous life under his rule. Well, he swore to himself that history would not repeat itself._

_"Look Max, Michael just wants us to be prepared for whatever it was that Nesedo warned us. I personally do not agree to the everyday every night dessert trips because frankly it's ruining my social life and I've told Michael this and he said fine, but we should at least meet once a week and..."_

_Max cut her off, something he had been doing lately. "Alien meeting every Friday. That's great. Since you've all decided on it without me, without my consent, why don't you go through with it on your own. You guys obviously don't need me there." He spat out._

_Isabel shook her head in exasperation. "Would you listen to yourself!" She stepped forward and was practically nose to nose with him. "You sound like an arrogant..."_

_She stopped whatever it was she was going to tell him. He wasn't sure if she had seen the pain he had felt or that she had realized that she was about to say something mean therefore something she would regret later on but Isabel calmed down enough to bring her voice back to normal pitch. "I asked you to come eat dinner with us at the Crashdown, you said no. I asked you to join us yesterday to watch some movies at Michael's place, you said no. I am now begging you to just come with me tonight and we can try and work everything out."_

_"We've discussed everything to death Isabel. Even for a sensitive guy like me, it had been too much talking." He complained, wincing at how immature it sounded. He sighed, "Look, just tell them I'm sick. I'm not feeling well."_

_And that had made Isabel very angry. "You're asking me to lie for you? To lie to Michael and Tess? God Max, you are arrogant and selfish and childish!" With that, she had walked away slamming the door in her wake._

Okay, for starters, it wasn't exactly a lie. He _was_ not feeling well. He had not been feeling well ever since they had uncovered the whole Destiny thing. He had known all along not to go hunting down for answers - that in the end, they wouldn't like what they'd find out. Of course, he hadn't listened to his gut feelings. And now look where all those questions and answers had led them?

This was now officially, his worst summer ever.

Max stared up at the ceiling and cursed himself. Score one for Isabel. She knew him best. He wondered if right now Isabel was telling Michael and Tess that he couldn't come because he was busy staring up at his white painted ceiling. He closed his eyes and rolled to his side.

No, sorry Isabel. You're wrong. I am now staring at the wall.

Pathetic. That was what he was.

Max let out an oath and jumped off the bed. He started pacing his room his gaze fixed at his gray colored carpet. Maybe he should've just let Isabel dragged him out into the dessert. He wondered how many times they've spent going there since growing up. It had always been Michael who would keep urging them to look for any alien clues hidden beneath all those sands. He never enjoyed any of the "Discovering our Alien Origin Trips". In fact, to be honest, he had wanted to put an end to it when obviously they would never find anything out there that would provide any link to their other world. He didn't want to find any link.

And then they discovered their pod chambers.

Perfect. The last thing he wanted was to find out that he was genetically engineered and had come from a disgusting pod. Not a warm womb of a loving mother as all of the other kids, but from slime-filled, light-pulsating pod.

He gritted his teeth. It was time to do something normal tonight. Something to remind himself that he might be a freaking alien king from a planet where kids are from pods but he was still half-human. A fact Michael and Tess and now even Isabel seemed to have forgotten. He sighed, well, what to do on... he paused and tried to remember what day it was. Yesterday was Tuesday, he was sure of that because Tuesdays Maria didn't work at the Crashdown and they had hang out there last night until the very last minute as Michael had insisted. He guessed that, whatever his reason was, Michael just didn't want to stay at his apartment. So today would be Wednesday.

His dark brown eyes suddenly lighted up.

Mail Day.

Liz would have sent Maria a letter or a postcard by now. He had seen Maria holding a piece of paper when she walked in at the Cafe this morning and he knew for a fact that the two bestfriends had promised to write to each other every week. So either it was from Liz or a love letter from Michael. Max shook his head in disgust, the latter wasn't even a possibility.

He glanced at the watch his body suddenly coming alive. There was something he could do that would bring her closer to him. Even if it was just mere words and inks and papers. The digital clock by his bed read 9:45. It was too early. She'd still be at the Crashdown working and she'd be really pissed at him if he came in there and pretend to have dinner and then beg her to show him Liz's postcards from Florida. She'd say something about having to wash another plate and spoon and fork and glass at the last minute.

Oaky. Five more minutes. He'd give himself five more minutes to rehash that conversation inside his head again. And then he'd corner Maria somewhere or walk her home or something. Any excuse to get news from Liz.

Max grimaced realizing that Maria would probably be tired by now and the last thing she needed was Max practically throwing it in her face that while he was still pinning for Liz, Michael had decided to pursue this Destiny thing with his sister.

Isabel was right. He was arrogant and selfish _and_ childish.

And let's not forget Pathetic, Max. He reminded himself with a wince. He stood up and picked a gray T-shirt off the floor. Well, maybe he can update Maria on the progress - or rather the lack of it between Michael and Isabel. At least he'd have semi-good news for her. That was fair right? A letter or two from Liz and an assurance that Michael missed her. If that won't work, well he can always treat Maria to some ice cream or something. She'd love that.

Max didn't use the front door. Instead, he climbed out of his window - his parents had already called it a night and he doubt they'd come checking on either him or Isabel. He carefully stepped over the rose bushes underneath his window. His mom had already accused him of having killed the first batch she had planted. Of course that had been Michael's feet doing all the killing but he had accepted the punishment of doing the gardening for the whole week, a thing he actually enjoyed. And ok, so he used his powers so that the flowers blossomed and bloom, much to the delight of his mom and amusement from Michael.

Max the Alien Green Thumb. Just one of his many nicknames courtesy of The Spiky One. He snickered at that, remembering one of Maria's nicknames for her on again off again and currently off again boyfriend. He crouched low and used his power to latch his window. Roswell wasn't a criminal infested town or anything, but it wouldn't hurt to be sure and safe. Satisfied with the lock and smug with the secret knowledge that even the FBI couldn't crack that window open he stood up and briskly walked away.

The night air was warm and he was glad that most people were already inside their air-conditioned homes. Max glanced at his watch. By this time, with Isabel's driving skills and love for speed, the three aliens would be on their way to the cave. Hopefully alive and unharmed. Just a few months ago he'd be worried sick that Valenti might pull Isabel over for her speeding and now he actually wished that the Royal Three would run into the Sheriff just to be safe.

He really couldn't understand how and why suddenly the Sheriff was on their side. He had been so sure that once Valenti found out the truth about them he'd turn them over to the FBI faster than you can say UFO. But no - that had been one of the many errors in judgement that he had made this year. If he had trusted his instinct and not let Michael's paranoia and lack of trust on the human race affect him, he would've gone to Valenti early on and maybe, just maybe none of the FBI incident happened.

Of course if he hadn't save Kyle's life then maybe Valenti would've turned them over just as Michael and Isabel had feared.

He'd never know. Just as he'd never know if life would be this dangerous if he hadn't saved Liz Parker's life the day she got shot.

But he will save her again and again. And again. To see her in any kind of pain was something he never wanted to feel again - it was like having his organs ripped from him. He'd save her in front of the whole human population, brodcasted via a satellite to any remote planet so that every living creature in the universe could see what a lovesick puppy he was -even if it meant risking himself. And Isabel. And Michael.

God, he was _that_ selfish and stupid.

He started walking towards the already familiar path. He could probably reach the Crashdown blindfolded. He had walked this way half of his life. He had the facts to prove it: Fifty three trees along the way, eighteen blue mailboxes, four stop lights, a total of thirty-nine steps from the UFO Museum to the Crashdown - to Liz Parker's home. He would've smiled at the cheesiness of it all but he couldn't.

Their alien meetings - Mondays to Sundays - were also held at one of the booths at the Crashdown. He had been attending every single one of them and had walked out either because Alex, Kyle and Maria had entered the cafe or he and Michael had an argument. He had been avoiding it these past few weeks. His excuses had gone from being valid and excusable to lame and down right stupid. Of course the fact that it was done nightly was already enough reason for him to avoid it. Even Isabel had complained about it. And apparently after talking to Michael, the schedule was changed. He had talked to Michael about the very same thing and his Second in Command had refused, telling him yet again that they need to be on guard and that he, Max Evans, King of Antar, was doing a very bad job of leading them.

Truth be told, he had felt like Isabel had punched him in the stomach when she told him about the new arrangement. Michael couldn't agree with him but with Isabel it was alright to bend the rules? Then why lead at all when not one of them was willing to be lead in the first place?

He was so tired of having to check his decisions with everybody. It made him feel as though he was always a prime candidate for alien screw up. And the worst thing was he was always somehow putting the blame on Michael. Directly or indirectly, intentional or not - it didn't matter he was doing it and he was ashamed of himself. If Michael only knew. If Isabel only knew. But he couldn't stop himself. And deep inside there was always this voice chiding him for wanting to be human so badly even though he wasn't.

Everything he did, it was to prove that he was part of this world, that he was in no way different from his kind warm hearted adoptive parents, his human friends, his classmates. He had received acceptance here and more than that, he had found love and reason.

Only, it had slipped through his hands because of all this alien thing.

And the irony of it all was that he was an alien king. A royal green blooded alien. He didn't want the responsibility, the distinction, the Destiny that he has to fulfill. And he felt as though he was a phony. A fake. Because he was denying his roots and embracing something that he could never have.

He stopped all at once without any conscious thought or effort. He was in front of the Crashdown door. Maria's back was to him and she was putting on the door lock.

"Mail Day." He announced softly glancing at the same piece of paper tucked underneath Maria's arm. Damn! He didn't even greeted her or ask how was her day or anything at all. So much for being a sensitive guy.

Maria turned her head and glanced at him. She looked tired. "Max, Max, Max," She said shaking her head, "just 'cause I currently have no life doesn't mean I'm letting you use me like a freakin' Mail Girl or something."

Max swallowed hard and froze on his spot, his heart stopping. She was right. God, he really was what Isabel and Michael had been telling him. He hung his head low. "Sorry." He mumbled. "I thought I," he paused shaking his head. "I'm such a jerk." He announced. "I'm sorry. I should've asked you how was your day and if you're tired, or would you want me to take that," he gestured at a small bag of groceries she was carrying.

"Max," she began, her voice taking on an edge and he cut her off.

"I really am sorry, I didn't mean for it to sound like that. I was even planning on asking you if you wanted to have some ice cream or something and... and..."

Maria raised a hand, palm facing his face. "Stop!" She commanded.

And immediately he bit a small piece of his tongue.

"You're a compulsive apologizer, you know."

Maria raised her eyebrows and he had the feeling that he had his eyebrows raised up in confusion. Huh? Apolo-what?

"That was the most times I've heard the worry 'sorry' from one person." Maria said taking a step so that she was even standing closer to him and he could smell... roses. She smelled really sweet. He belatedly noticed the sadness in her tone and he opened his mouth to apologize again but she narrowed her eyes.

"I wasn't going to apologize." He muttered, wondering how she could read him so easily. Was he always that obvious?

"Right." Maria shrugged. "So Mail Day huh?" She asked him tilting her head to the side as though she was trying to read his mind. He backed away.

"No, I ugh, I saw you with that," he nodded towards the envelope. "I just thought you had news from Liz and she usually does write to you once a week and last week and the week before that, the two postcards you showed me, well, you got them Wednesday morning so I was kind of hoping that..." he trailed off, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. God, had he said all that?

"This paper?" She smiled up at him and he noticed that she was holding the paper by the very tip and swinging it back and forth underneath his nose.

His hand rose to touch it.

"Not from Liz. They're bills. Wanna pay them? 'Cause that sure would help a lot." Maria said looking up at him expectantly.

He didn't know if she was serious or just kidding. He cleared his throat, "Oh...ugh... I just... It's Wednesday, right?" He asked instead trying to hide his disappointment that was now mixed with confusion.

"Ding! Ding! Point for the Alien King." Maria announced. She shoved the blasted bills inside her bag. "No letter for today Max." She said seriously.

Max shifted uneasily. He had caught a glimpse of a crumpled edge of what looked like a postcard inside Maria's bag. He cleared his throat. "So, ugh, I can walk you home." He offered.

"I'm a big girl. I can handle it." Maria said standing straighter.

"I know that." Max said, not giving up. "It's um... it's not for you." He began slowly, sounding like a little kid.

Maria raised her eyebrows.

"It's for me." He admitted softly.

They were silent for a few seconds and he heard Maria groan out in exasperation and the next thing he knew, she was handing him the small bag of groceries. He looked down at the plastic surveying the contents. They were all filled with small bottles - vials of different essential oils.

"C'mmon Maxwell, you gonna walk me home or what?" She asked standing in front of him hands on her hips.

Max nodded silently and waited for her to lead the way. He hadn't been in her house before. He could've asked Michael where Maria lived but his alien friend would have fried him and say later on it was an accident. He almost smiled at the thought of a jealous Michael. That was something he had yet to see. Maria sighed loudly, took his hand and dragged him away from the closed Crashdown.

* * *

They got to her house in no time. It was a small home with lots of um, alien artifacts made from plastics. There was a large alien head pot where a tall green healthy looking cactus was planted. Actually, there were several pots of plants scattered everywhere, there was no logical order or specific place, but he liked it - a little chaotic garden at the DeLuca front porch. He inhaled slowly and the smell of different herbal plants filled his nostrils.

Maria noticed him staring at the alien plant pot. "Oh, my mom's idea." She paused to look at it closer, as though seeing it for the first time. She let out a small smile, "She made it." She mumbled almost shyly.

Max raised an eyebrow. "Really?" He asked.

"Yeah. I know you hate it, Michael does, and I have to apologize for my mom's sense of humor but..."

"No, it's ok. It's looks... well, it's _cute_." Max said cutting her off. He didn't say it just because it was the polite thing to say. He gave the pot another look and decided that he did really like it. Maria's mom had a charming sense of humor about aliens. He smiled at this and was suddenly curious about Amy DeLuca. Michael had said Maria's mom was a dangerous woman wielding a newspaper. Whatever that meant.

"Really?" Maria smiled up to him and then turned serious, realizing that this was the first this night that she'd seen Max smiling, "Feel better now?" She asked.

Max nodded silently. He looked at Maria and wondered why it felt like he was seeing her for the first time. Sure they had talked before and just the other week he had tried to help her and Michael fix their problem, which ended up in a disaster because Michael had been a total ass, but he had done that because she had shown him one of Liz's postcards from Florida and he felt like he owed Maria something. But tonight felt somehow different. They had walked silently on their way here, and he was surprised to feel that even with the silence he felt comfortable having her by his side. "Thanks." He mumbled softly.

Maria shrugged. "It's ok Max. You looked like you needed a friend."

Max hung his head suddenly feeling guilty. "Maria, I..." He looked up, surprised to have her whole attention. It must be with the way he had said her name. Her green eyes were darker than usual and she really did look miserable. He had the sudden urge to go find Michael and shake him senseless - well, at least until his friend realize how lucky he was that Maria was still here, so patiently waiting for him. He swallowed hard. "I just wanted to apologize."

Maria rolled her eyes and opened her mouth. For the second time that night, Max jumped in before she can say something. "And don't try to stop me because I need to apologize and trust me, you deserve it." Maria sighed and crossed her arms. She was trying to look strong, but Max could read and sense the vulnerability she was hiding inside. "I'm sorry for ruining everything. I'm not sorry I saved Liz's life, but I am sorry that you got dragged into all these. I'm sorry that I've put your life in danger, I'm sorry about the whole Destiny thing. And I know that if I apologize for Michael, you'd kick my ass, so I won't." He paused in time to see Maria smirk at him. So she liked the kicking his ass part huh? Well, he was sure she would be able to that if she put her heart into it. These full-bred humans were always so full of surprises. He wished he was one.

"Finished?" Maria asked not unkindly although sounding a tad bit irritated.

"Not yet." Max said and he actually smiled at Maria's groan. "I'm sorry I keep pressuring you into letting me see Liz's postcards. It's wrong. I know. It's your letter and if you wanted to share it with me you would have and I didn't need to ask you or beg you or threaten you or bribe you or any other tactics I was thinking of before I went to the Crashdown."

"You were thinking of threatening me?" Maria asked incredulously.

"If ice cream didn't work, I figured I'd use my alien powers on you or something." Max said half jokingly.

Maria frowned.

"I was kidding of course. Although it did crossed my mind, but very briefly like, 2 seconds."

Maria's green eyes widened.

"No... no, I... a half of a half of a second." Max corrected.

"Oh." She said softly. Max nodded almost eagerly. "So that's it?" She asked raising a perfectly arched eyebrow.

"I have a feeling I have more to apologize for, maybe in the future, but for now, I ugh, I think that's about it." Max said feeling like a piece of the huge boulder resting on his chest had been chipped off and somehow he felt almost better, lighter, a little at peace with himself.

Maria looked at him and again the he felt her trying to read him, probe him and maybe understand him. He stood still and let her find out what she can, maybe she wouldn't hate him so much, despite his fake-ness. His being selfish. He watched her as she looked down on the floor and he was surprised to find out that he can read her too. She was trying to control the flood of emotions inside her. She was angry with him. She was sorry for him. She was reaching out to him.

She looked up and the connection they shared disappeared. "Apology accepted." Maria said, her voice stronger than he'd ever heard before. He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Somehow hearing it from her made him feel better.

"We can be friends Max." She added softly. "I'm not just here because I got dragged into this or because I'm Lizzie's friend. I'm here because I want to be, it's my choice to be a part of this... conspiracy."

"Friendship." Max corrected her.

Maria seemed taken aback by this but she recovered quickly flashing him a quick smile. "Family." She corrected him evenly.

And Max liked the word better. It felt like it suited them. All six of them and to extend that family, well, there was Sheriff Valenti and maybe even Tess and Kyle too. "Yeah." He agreed, smiling down at her.

Maria shook her head and smiled, "God, you are such a sap Max." She chuckled softly. "Ok, I'm getting in, but meet me by the window of my room."

Max raised his eyebrows. Personally, he was glad of this newfound friendship with Maria, but wasn't this pushing it? He wasn't sure how Michael would react if he found out he was waiting by Maria's window.

"Just go ok. Follow the oregano."

Max frowned and Maria gestured towards the oregano plants that lined up their house. "No marijuana plants?" He joked.

Maria rolled her eyes. "My mom was a hippie buddy, not an druggie. Plus, she's dating the sheriff, so not a chance." She got in without another word.

Max knew what paranoid felt like. He had felt it half of his life. But he hadn't felt paranoid and guilty all at the same time ever. He glanced at all his sides. What was taking Maria so long? If Michael just happened to walk by (by accident, he'd be sure to say) he was going to get his ass kicked. He heard the window sliding up just as he was contemplating whether or not he should just go and leave. Maria had obviously forgotten about him.

Maria looked out and made a quick survey of her surroundings. When she met Max's questioning look she shrugged. "Spaceboy might be lurking." She whispered fiercely adding as much volume in her voice without speaking too loud.

Max watched her, fascinated as she slipped out of her window. So this was how he looked like a couple of hours earlier. She even carefully stepped over the oregano planted underneath her window. Max raised an eyebrow as soon as she was out and standing in front of him.

"Mom's having a fit over the oregano plants that were stepped on," she jerked her head at the flattened patch near her window. "keeps blaming me, but I swear it's Michael's fault." She said with a smile.

"What?" Max asked surprised. He knew about Michael's stalking tendencies but he didn't know that Maria knew about them. Last week, it had been Isabel who had caught Michael standing outside Maria's window at 2 in the morning. Of course Michael was adamant in denying it, until he finally got really pissed and assured everyone that he was being careful and it was the last time.

Apparently, it wasn't.

"You know?" Max asked her.

"Yeah. But don't tell him I know, 'cause he thinks I don't and he's happy that he thinks I don't so if he finds out that I know, he's gonna be really pissed at himself that I know."

Maria lost him at the 'happy' part but he nodded in understanding nonetheless. "So, where we going?" he asked as he trudged along Maria.

"To the park." She said, her voice back to normal. She said it without batting an eyelash, as though it was the most obvious place they would go to at this kind of hour. Max glanced at his watch - that would be 11:00 p.m.

"At the park? Why?" He asked suddenly stopping.

Maria stopped in mid stride and glared at him. "Look pal, I'm tired and you just apologized to me and I'm being a friend here, so would you stop with the questions and follow me." She stalked off and was already a good few feet away from him when he finally decided that she was still sane and was safe to follow her.

When they got there, he was surprised to find the park still well lighted. "It's still open?" he asked, mouth hanging open.

Maria looked at him like he was from another planet. Which was true of course, but the look still bothered him. "It's always open. You don't go here?"

"Not at this time." He answered following Maria as she led the way.

"Well, Liz and I, we go here every time, you know, just to talk. It's always well lighted and we've never encountered any lurking pervs so we're safe here." she glanced at him when he remained quiet. "Where do you go when you and Michael and Isabel need to talk about the... you know?"

"Alien stuff?" At Maria's nod, Max continued, "Well, sometimes Michael comes over at night and he sleeps on the floor." Maria narrowed her eyes at this, "he has a sleeping bag, so..." Max explained and immediately the look of disapproval in her green eyes disappeared. "But most of the time we go to the desert." Max paused not sure if he should tell her. She didn't ask, so he decided that he could. "At our pod chambers."

"Oh." Maria said quietly. She stopped suddenly deep in thought and then veered off into another direction. They walked silently, passing benches that seemed ok for Max to sit on and talk about whatever it was that Maria wanted to talk about. She seemed to have a place in her mind and he wanted to be surprised when they got there. Probably at the playground. She looked like the kind of girl who would love to do all the discussion about alien and human life at a swing, with the wind blowing her blonde hair. It was a little longer now, Max noticed suddenly and he wondered if Michael had too. He probably had, considering the amount of time he spend pretending not to be looking at her. Max swears Michael had developed eyes at the back of his head all for Maria.

"So, that's where you guys have been all those night?" She asked out of nowhere.

"Yeah." Why was she asking? He wanted to ask her but he remained quiet. If she wanted to tell him she would - that was how a friendship based on trust should work, right? A minute passed before his curiosity was satisfied.

"I've been calling Michael, but he never answers, I thought he was just sitting there ignoring the phone because he knows it me, which is really infuriating."

Max winced as Maria started stomping on her way to who knows where. He really felt sorry for the grasses Maria was walking on. Flattened to the ground. It reminded him of Michael's spikes being slowly flattened as his friend grew his hair longer. He raised his eyebrows in realization. Even in hair, both Michael and Maria seemed in sync witch each other and from the looks of it, they are not aware of this simple but very obvious fact.

He almost collided with Maria when she stopped. He looked pass her shoulder and saw the sandbox.

"It's not the desert, but it's close." Maria said not turning to look at him.

Max didn't know what to say. He stepped forward and was beside Maria. He looked at her impassive face staring straight ahead. He smiled down at her and took her hand. When they were little, Isabel had always hated it when he held her hand while walking on the park or anywhere for the matter. She insisted that she walked alone and even though Max had wanted to care for his sister that way, he was not allowed to. The only time Isabel would let him take her hand was when they went to the dessert. With her other hand clasped around Michael's.

Maria glanced up at him and then smirked. "It's your desert Max. Like a real planet you could rule."

"It could work. But it needs a little fixing." He said looking at it, all barren and flat. Would his planet look this way? Could he ever built something from it? He didn't think he can.

"We could do that." Maria announced. "C'mmon." And she proceeded dragging him towards the box.

A minute later, he found himself barefoot building a castle inside the sandbox. Maria was done with a long bridge and high walls and was making small houses, "Ok, this one is done." She declared and Max moved next to her and spread his hand over the little Antar home. He used his powers to nudge the molecules and solidify the house.

Maria giggled. "Man, if I had known you when I was a kid, I would've forced you to make me a sand castle that I could actually fit in!" She giggled again.

"You liked sandboxes when you were a kid." He said getting back to his own sandcastle.

"Yeah. Me, Liz and Alex." She squinched up her nose and continued, "one time Kyle played with us, he kicked all the castles and the little houses and I got so mad I threw sand on his face." she brightened up at the memory. "He cried like a big baby!"

"I remember." Max said absentmindedly.

"You do?" She was looking at him curiously.

"Yeah, I was sitting over there," he pointed a small toy house just beside the slide, a few feet away from the sandbox. "with Isabel and Michael and we were watching you. Liz had a red jumper and that blue T-shirt that has a huge Bugs Bunny printed over it." His sandcastle was finished. He looked at it, satisfied with its design - an architectural feat really - and used his powers once more. He noticed the sudden silence and he turned to look at Maria who was looking at him with big green eyes.

She blinked and looked away. "That's amazing." She mumbled softly.

"Yeah. I know. Sometimes I'm not sure how I remember these things, but I do." He wiped his hands on his jeans and watched Maria.

"Was it from the flashes? When you healed her I mean?" She still wasn't looking at him.

"I guess. I remember a lot though. You know the day after the ballet recital on fifth grade? Liz was wearing this pink fluffy skirt and she had on this little ribbon on her hair and she had bangs and..."

"Stop."

He was caught off guard with the vehemence in her voice. "Maria?"

She looked at him and frowned. "I don't know how she could go away and leave you." She whispered softly.

"Maria, I..." He really didn't want to talk about this right now. This was the reason why he kept avoiding their alien meetings, because it was rooted to that day. To their Destiny. To Liz leaving him.

"She said she had to let you go because it was your Destiny. I don't understand how she could give you up that easily after everything that had happened. And I know it hadn't been easy for her too because she love you but she said it was something she had to do." Maria shook her head, it seemed like she was talking more to herself than to him. She looked him in the eye and asked, "_Why_?"

He hated that question. Because it was the one he could never answer. "I don't know." Max said finally. He took her hand but she pulled it away. Hurt and not sure why, Max grimaced. He looked at the sand long and hard, as though the answers were buried beneath them, hidden away, just like the alien clues they had been searching for all these years. And then it hit him. It wasn't a question for him, he realized. It was for Michael.

Why had he walked away from her that day? Why had it seemed so easy for him to leave her and pursue their destiny?

His head jerked up when he heard Maria's bitter laugh. "Look at us Max. We're pathetic." She sniffled loudly and took a deep breath. "We're pathetic." she repeated shaking her head.

Him - yes, he was pathetic. But Maria? She could never be that. "It's not true." He told her holding her gaze. "You're not that Maria. You could never be that."

"It's how I feel Max. You can't change the way I feel." She insisted.

"He misses you, you know." Max assured her.

Maria looked up, green eyes flashing. "Max, you don't have to lie to me." She whispered angrily.

"I'm not lying. Look, just the other night Michael and I had this horrible argument, I don't even know what it was about but he really got so angry and he's letting off steam and suddenly he sat down and started telling his 'Maria stories'"

Maria rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"It's true." Max reached for her hand and clasped it tightly. "The time you went to Marathon, he told us how you reacted when he threw your phone out the window. The other week, it was about how you drove in reverse when you were trying to trail this guy and before that he was telling how you had all these vials of oil and you never smell like one of them but always, always like roses and he swears it's your way of driving him nuts."

Maria was speechless. Her green eyes had become bigger, as though trying to see a grumpy Michael Guerin sitting by his saggy couch, arms crossed declaring to the whole room that she smelled like roses.

"I don't know why he turned and walked away, but I know that it was the hardest thing for him to do."

Maria swallowed hard. "God, I hate that idiot!" She screeched.

Max laughed and shook his head. "Right."

"I do. I really do. He's so... Ooohhh!" She took a swipe at Max's sandcastle and cursed when it didn't topple down. "That stupid stonewall." She muttered darkly.

Max smiled knowingly as he reached out a hand and used his powers. Maria watched him curiously and when he removed his hands, a look of understanding passed between them. And again, she took a hard swipe at the tower and watched as it slowly crumpled down. Dust fluttering back to dust. She let out a satisfied "Yes!" and proceeded to ruin Max's castle as she lunged forward and hug him.

"Feel better?" He asked, his arms still holding her. He felt her nod and somehow, he felt better too.

* * *

They were now staring at the night sky. Dozens of stars dotted the sky. They were lying at the sandbox, their feet dangling and brushing the soft grass. Maria turned to her side to look at him. "You really do love Liz don't you?" she asked.

Max rolled his eyes, "My earlier profession of love didn't convince you?" he asked raising an eyebrow.

"God, you are so whipped it's sick." Maria said her voice indicating the disgust she was obviously feeling. "I'm surprised I lived through that monologue and not end up hurling or anything."

"So why are you asking that question?" Max asked feigning hurt. His love for Liz wasn't something to hurl about. Was it? He wasn't that sappy.

Maria tilted her head, "Why'd you heal her Max?"

Again that 'why' question. "Honestly, I don't know. I guess I'm supposed to have the answer right away, but sometimes I think... well, all I ever wanted was to be a normal guy without all these alien stuff to deal with, but that day when Liz got shot, I played God. And that's what I'm going to pay for."

"I know why you healed her." Maria said settling back.

Max raised his eyebrows. This was good, someone was answering one of the questions he had been searching for an answer. "Yeah? Why?" He challenged her.

Maria rolled her eyes in mock disgust. "Because you love her, idiot."

"It's not as simple as that." Max complained.

"Sometimes, it is."

Max frowned. He searched the sky. He hadn't found the answer at the dessert. Maybe he'd find it up there, where he came from.

"Wacha looking for Max?" Maria asked after a few moments of silence.

"I don't know. I haven't found it yet." He answered vaguely. "I'm supposed to lead, but I don't know how to. Maybe the stars have the answers for me."

"You just follow your heart Max." Maria told him softly.

"It's not that simple." He repeated, more firmly this time.

Maria glared at him. "Sometimes, it is!" He heard her mutter something which sounded like him being like Michael - stubborn as a freakin' mule. She turned to him looking pissed. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Maria was cranky and one of Michael's precious pieces of advice was to a void a cranky Maria. Because she'd be brutally honest and it would really, really sting.

"What are you so afraid of Maxwell?"

Maxwell. She heard that from Michael, no doubt. "I'm afraid of failing them." He muttered.

"You're not afraid of failing them. You're afraid of failing."

Michael lied. That wasn't a sting. That was a sledgehammer! "It's the same thing! If I fail, I fail them."

Maria shook her head. "My dad left me. My dad left. See the difference?" She asked raising her eyebrows.

Max shook his head. This was something that Maria would never convince him of. He, Michael and Isabel were one unit. Anything that happened to one of them, it happens to all of them. It sounded logical. And he believed in logic. Even though he can defy logic. Which is somewhat illogical but screw it. If he fail, he'd fail everyone. That was how it worked and no sandbox-loving blonde girl is ever going to change that fact.

"Fine," Maria threw up her hands in obvious frustration. She sat up and looked at him, "You know, when you're right everybody hates you."

Max stared at her. It was exactly what bothered him. The feeling, the knowledge that every time he said something right, somehow, everyone in the room hated him for that. How could she know that. How could she...

"And you know, when you're wrong, everybody hates you too." She continued on.

Ok, that was something not new to him - but still - ouch. "So that's it, everyone hates me. Gee thanks a lot." Max sat up and picked up his shoes putting them on viscously.

"You're staying pally, because you need to hear this." Maria said taking his hand and stopping him from tying his shoelace. He glared at him. "It's not an ego-sledgehammer." Maria assured her. "You'd feel better after you hear this." Her eyes were pleading.

Max sighed and stilled. So that was why Michael couldn't say no to her. It was an internal thing. How could anyone say no to her?

Maria smiled, glad to have his attention back. "Guess, what Max, being scorned when right and wrong, it's the same for everyone. You hate Michael when he's wrong, you hate him when he's right."

"I do not..." he bit his cheeks and looked away. "That was supposed to make me feel better?" He asked incredulously.

"Well, duh! I wasn't finished. It's annoying when Liz is always right. It's even more annoying when Liz is wrong. When Alex is right I roll my eyes, when he's wrong, I roll my eyes. I do something stupid and everyone looks at me in a weird way. I do something incredibly brainy and everyone still look at me in a weird way."

"You're saying that we're all mean and cruel. Is that it?" He still didn't think he felt any better.

"No, I'm saying that you can't please everybody. You never will. Sometimes, doing the right thing hurts people that we care about, just like sometimes its wrong to do something no matter how right your reason is."

"That's the saddest thing I've ever heard. Because that would mean that we're all going to make mistakes, even without us knowing it."

"That's right. That's how we learn Max."

He watched her for a full minute. And she let him. She was beautiful. So very different from Liz. Pale skin, golden hair and green eyes. And fierce. Max sighed and stared off into the night.

"What did you see?" She asked silently after a few minutes.

"In you?' He asked and watched her nod at the corner of his eyes. Max let out a small smile and look at her, "Someone I could never have."

Maria grinned at him. "Wanna ask what I saw?"

"Sure." He was surprised that Maria could take what he said and throw it back to him. Truth for truth. And what he said was true. They were being honest, something new to him. Even with Iz and Michael, they always had to hide something. And it hurt to admit, but even with Liz he was never this open. He was always careful to avoid saying something that would hurt her, that would worry her - even if it meant lying to her. It didn't make their relationship better but they could never change that. At least he has a chance with Maria, maybe he'd learn how to be human from her and Michael obviously learned something from her.

Maria looked into his eyes and reached out to touch his face. "Someone who could never love me."

Max nodded silently. And suddenly, there it was, the truth that he was hiding even from himself.

The thing with him and Liz was that their love made them blind from everything around them - that was why Liz was his world. Everything fades away when he was with her. His balance depended on her. She was his very core. His center. Their love was that powerful. What they had thought was invincibility was actually vulnerability. They never know what can hurt them. Max certainly didn't think that this stupid destiny would bring them apart. He never expected anything could bring them apart - because they had defied death.

And the thing with Michael and Maria was that their love, although as powerful as his and Liz's, it was the exact opposite if compared to them. Their love intensifies everything around them, making everything stand out. Michael's fears are real, because it's there, he can see it, he can touch it, he knows that it can take Maria away from him just as Maria's belief in them is real - because she too can touch it, she can feel it and somehow, she had gotten far up ahead than Michael and she knows that they can over come it. They see the outside world, they know what it can do and they had build their own world apart from it. They were vulnerable outside, but tough in the inside.

Both love were deep and real and true. But his and Liz was something that could have never happened if she had died. Maria and Michael would have had the chance to discover themselves - how the hell would the play out was something he didn't know. Just as he have no idea how his life would be if he hadn't stopped the hands of fate. Because if it was fate that wanted them together, it would never have tried to take away Liz Parker from him in the first place.

Maria and Michael were destined.

He fought to have Liz. He was still fighting now. Maybe someday, he'd feel different, maybe he could finally convince himself that he and Liz were fated and Destined - soulmates. But right now, he felt that he had cheated to have her and to keep her, he'd have to keep on cheating.

"Hey, girlfriend?" Maria asked in a small voice.

Max turned to her slowly, "Yeah?"

She smirked at him and rolled her eyes, "God, talking to you is like - HEADACHE!" she muttered rubbing her temples.

Max laughed. "I know."

* * *

He walked her back home. It was past midnight and they were both treading along the side of the DeLuca house as carefully as they can. They stopped at her window. "They're probably still at the pod chamber." Max mused, not seeing or sensing Michael anywhere.

"Probably. But you know he doesn't stalk me everyday." Maria giggled. "This is the first night I didn't call him and left a message. He's gonna wonder why."

"I bet he would." Max agreed.

"Well, it was nice Maxwell, maybe we could do this some other time."

Max smiled, "Sure... girlfriend." He tested the word, it sounded funny, but he liked it. The same way he liked hearing Maria's giggle.

"Night."

"Night." He answered back and silently watched her as she climbed up and latched her window. He smiled at her through the glass, waved good bye and walked away. He hadn't even taken 10 steps when he heard the window sliding open and Maria calling his name. He turned back and saw that she was holding a postcard. She smiled at him and let the postcard fall and settled on the oregano leaves. She latched her window once again and drew the curtains.

Max hurried over to the oregano plants and picked the postcard up. It was from Liz. It was dated last week and Maria had received it today. And it had three words written on it.

I MISS MAX.

Max grinned.

His answer - from his little sandbox girl friend.

- e n d -


	8. Glass House

**Roswell Summer Vignettes**

**Author**: purplemud

**Disclaimers**: Roswell does not belong to me. Standard Disclaimers apply

**Rating**: T

**Summary**: Tess reflects on her home

**Author's Note**: I hope you guys like this one. It's mostly about Tess, but as always there are a few candy moments. Please feel free to tell me anything you want. Thanks so much for the reviews. I appreciate them all. Thank you so much for the reviews. They are much appreciated. Slight AU-ish(?) since we all know Tess and Nasedo's place had all been very elaborate with loads of vases and _stuff. _The house of furniture just didn't seem to fit with Nasedo and Tess. So uhm, let's pretend that the whole the pieces of furniture were by products of Tess' mind warp. ::snickers::

* * *

**_Glass House_**

Tess Harding - at least that was her given human name - tapped her chin as she considered her choices. Red or baby pink or how about black? Silver wouldn't hurt either. Doesn't matter, she thought idly, with her pale skin she'd look good in any color.

She frowned, remembering Isabel's word. Any color would not do. There were night colors and day colors. There were also after-school-hanging-by-the-Crashdown color and ready-to-party color. Which was which? She tilted her head and picked up the gray baby tee that she had been staring at for the last five minutes. It had baby sleeves and a deep v-cleavage. Not that Max would notice something like that but maybe other boys would and then she can have something else to fill her otherwise blank and empty days.

She was thankful that tonight would not be so empty and boring. She and Isabel had agreed to check out the party at Vicky Something's house, a Senior at West Roswell High with enough money to hire a band, feed and more importantly, provide a bottomless keg for the many teens of Roswell who all needed this event to keep them sane and normal. Tess rolled her eyes in exasperation. Normal and sane. She kept hearing these words at Roswell, of all places! Pretending to be normal and sane seems to be the fad nowadays. Being the two at the same time was another story of course. Well, she could deal with that kind of crap for one night. Hell, she'd been dealing with it all her life.

Sanity. Normalcy.

Yeah, she was very familiar with those two, she thought sarcastically.

Beside, the party tonight would have all the kids trashing each other and getting trashed. It would be another opportunity to watch the humans wallow and stumble in their own stupidity. Of all the freakin' planets in this damn galaxy, she had to be stuck here!

Anyway, she considered with a sigh, even this was better than staying late at night and staring at their pod chambers. Thank God they had somehow managed to convince Michael that they need not explore the desert of Roswell, New Mexico every friggin' night. After all, as Isabel had told Michael, all work and no play makes a dull alien. Which needless to say did not amuse Michael in the least bit. He had grunted his displeasure but surprisingly gave in after two hours of heated debate on why the hell would they want to spend their Saturday evening on some dumb party when they could all be at the desert kicking sand and staring up at the sky, waiting for manna to fall. Or if they ever got lucky, maybe a spaceship they can hitch a ride home to.

Two hours was in fact already a progress. The other week Max and Michael had gotten into a daylong argument because Max had refused to contact Nasedo to ask him more about their Destiny. It turned out that Michael wanted details. The complete sordid story of their past alien life. Of course they had asked her first and because she was just as clueless, Michael had insisted that they need to talk to Nasedo - now. Something Max hadn't been willing and ready to do.

Max wasn't willing to do anything in relation with their Destiny, Tess thought disdainfully. A thought Michael had clearly voiced out.

And thus began the childish squabble. It could have gotten ugly had not Isabel stepped in. And even with Isabel refereeing the two, it took another half a day to get the King and the General in speaking terms. One of these days someone's fist is gonna end up in someone's face. And Tess wasn't so sure who'd be punching who anymore. On any day she would have gladly volunteered Michael's name, but lately Max had been equally easily irritated and then angry. _Rage_ wasn't yet a part of Max's vocabulary although she had decided that she wouldn't want to be there - or on the receiving end of that rage for that matter - when that day comes.

Isabel had ended up being pissed with everyone. Her including. Because apparently, she was not helping by goading Michael into getting their Destiny fulfilled to its very end. Well, up until the part where they'd all gotten killed by some mysterious enemy '_within'_.

Tess knew that after the big blow up at the cave, Michael had been treading on the Evanses carefully. He had pissed Max way too many times, which automatically meant that he was pissing Isabel too and the growing rift between the three of them was already taking it's toll on him. Not that he'd ever say it out loud because that would probably kill him.

Or, Tess reconsidered remembering another argument they had in connection to Michael's stalking tendencies, it could be that he was just missing the hyper blonde way too much. The standing-by-her-window at two in the morning was already a proof of that. Not that Michael had come out and say it in the open because that would probably kill him all over again. Michael was still trying his most desperate to ignore Maria and Tess hadn't lost her hope yet. Even if Isabel had given up on their Destiny, Michael still seemed to be with the program. Two against two was fair enough for her.

Time would come that she would no longer need Michael as her unwilling ally. She'd eventually convince Max that this life he was living here was temporary. Liz Parker was temporary. Earth was temporary. Up there somewhere, was their real home. And they need to find it. And when they do, he will be the King as she would be the Queen.

Tess' eyes took on a dreamlike quality as she thought of how deliciously wonderful it sounded. Queen Tess. She definetly liked the sound of that. Her smile however remained cold and calculating. For now she'd have to settle for a night of mindless partying. Maybe she'd even get Max to dance with her. Tess looked up at the white painted ceiling and smiled to herself. She envisioned the stars above and pictured herself in Max's arms.

_Home_.

She bit down the urge to giggle at the little jolts of electricity running up and down her spine. Instead, she willed herself to face the task at hand. Now where was she? Oh, the right color. She considered briefly the red hue and placed her hand over the soft fabric. Red spread from the middle, like blood gushing out from an open gaping wound at the chest. She stopped almost immediately. No. Black it is. Classy and oh-so-understated. Isabel would approve.

Caught off guard by the thought, Tess quickly thought of another color. She did not need Isabel Evans' approval. She was after all, the Queen. The Royal Antarian Blood that flowed through the taller blonde was in no way different than the blood that flowed in her. She placed her palm squarely on the fabric and watched as the silver color of stars spread out from the center. For a second Tess was filled with an unnamed longing as the color took the shape of a small star and then disappeared, its silver hue swallowing up the fabric.

Half an hour later, she was wearing the shirt. Silver, like her eye shadow, her small purse and her strappy sandal.

Tess smiled at her reflection. A small, shy, innocent smile.

A Liz Parker smile.

Tess' face contorted in anger. She rolled her eyes in disgust. It never worked. No matter how many times she tried to get Max to notice her it never worked. Never. She had a feeling it never will. But 'never' was just a word. In their planet, that word might not even exist. So it was something that she can destroy - change according to her will. Just as she had changed the color of her shirt, of her shoes or her purse for that matter. She tilted her head and gave her blonde hair a shake. Maybe she could change the color of her hair to dark brown or raven black or something other than blonde. But then that would be too obvious. She sighed and stood up surveying the barren house.

No furniture. Just the basics really. Two chairs, a table, a small couch, TV and a small mattress spread out in a corner. Home sweet home, she thought idly. Nasedo had been adamant on keeping things simple. Only the essentials. If they need to run just as they had done ever since she can remember, all they had to do was run. No belongings to come back for, to worry about, to tie them here. That had been the first important lesson Nasedo had told her. And he taught it cruelly too.

Imagine a seven year old girl presented with a teddy bear and have it ripped into pieces right in front of her. She had cried and Nasedo immediately ordered her to stop. He had scoofed at her tears and told her that it would not do anything. Not a damn thing. It was useless. One of the many peculiarities the humans burdened themselves with. Crying and tears would never change anything - would not help her at all.

"This," Nasedo had said, tapping the side of her head. "This makes you different from all of them. This makes you powerful. And you will learn in time, that you can control them. All of them."

Nasedo made her use her power to burn what was left of poor Mr. Bear.

Lesson number two: emotions were bullshit.

Ten years after that she still had to hide from Nasedo the fact that she could still feel - that and the fact that every emotion cut her up inside. Pretty nicely too. No scars, just tiny invisible wounds that throb and pulsate like living breathing organisms once in a while.

Growing up she had wondered why she had Nasedo. He wasn't her father nor her relative - he was just Nasedo, her guardian as he had insisted. Little kids used to ask her who was her father and she'd say Mr. Harding because _'Nasedo'_ was never to be uttered in public. When they asked about her mother, she just told them that she died while she was still a baby. That was the first of her many lies.

Kids would tell her that it was sad, but what was sad? She didn't know what they meant by that - until that night Nasedo tore Mr. Bear with his bare hands and she had to watch later on as flames licked and melted away the bear's warm brown eyes.

So that was sadness was - it was like having her heart pinched. Or at least that was what the electronic impulses of her brain told her. She had the ability to absorb knowledge easily. Sometimes, her mind worked even better than her guardian did. Of course she had to hide this fact because she didn't want Nasedo to be upset with her. He was the only one she ever really had and as much as she tried she couldn't help but see him as her only family even though from the very start Nasedo had made it clear that she had no family.

She learned early on to observe and learn. And soon realized that Nasedo was wrong, emotions weren't bullshit - they were tools.

Human frailty was one of Nasedo's favorite topics. He'd go on and on about how humans were always so weak and vulnerable. Like it wasn't that obvious already.

Her ability, freaking alien powers to quote Michael, was mind control. A power fit for a queen, really. Because with the control of the mind was the control of emotions - of everything actually. Reality was something that she can distort, change, meld into whatever she fancies.

Of course, there were limitations to her power, certain forces that until now she can't defeat. She wasn't bothered too much by it, Nasedo had told her that in time, her abilities would grow, would eventually become stronger. She had been surprised to discover that the other members of the Royal Four were grappling with their powers. Michael could barely control his, Isabel only used hers for the silliest of things, and Max had used his to endanger them all. To save Liz Parker.

Human frailty was imbedded too deep into the three. Max, Michael and Isabel had been too human for far too long. Too connected to their emotions.

Michael for example had been living in anger - it fuels him, or so he says. In truth, he was using it as his shield, because beneath the dirty clothes, the funny hair and his harshness was a sad, whimpering little child.

Isabel on the other hand, always so cold and detached with just the right amount of bitchiness to convince everyone that she was not to be messed around with. Surprisingly, even with her "I-don't-need-anyone" personality, people still flock to her. Adoring her blonde hair, her eyes, and her fashion sense. And beneath all that aloofness was actually a lonely girl wanting to be accepted and loved.

And Max, the oh-so-human of the three: righteous, fair and kind would actually never pass himself as one. His idea of being human is too textbook.

They were all so textbook.

And to give their human friends a little credit, Tess actually have a harder time trying to read, say, Alex's easy-going disposition in life and his blunt seriousness with whatever he was passionate about, whether it was his music or Isabel. Or Maria's flakiness and her penetrating strength - after all hadn't she passed through Michael's wall of anger and hate?

Even Kyle Valenti seemed worthy of her interest. As far as she knew everyone had designated him as the dumb jock and yet she had once observed him and couldn't find the dumbness people associated him with. Sitting by the Crashdown and talking to his dad, he seemed capable of something more than passing a stupid football across the field and getting a touchdown. Or was it a basketball and into a basket? Whatever.

Sometimes, Tess wished she wasn't too much in the outside looking in. It could be fun being there and seeing all these but...

Stop.

She closed her eyes and tried to visualize the distant planet Nasedo had described to her. She tried to get a feel of what the wind was like up there. How it soothed her cool alien skin.

Home.

That was home. Not this one.

Not this empty house.

Her memory of home was vague. And it brought an ache inside of her that she actually wanted to feel. With that ache comes the knowledge that her home - her past life existed. And maybe with it, a future too. One where she would never have to hide whatever it was that she thought and felt. And then she'd be rid of this ache that she was so familiar with - it was practically essential to her.

She reminded herself of Michael's silent anguish. She was aware of it. She had sensed it. She recognized it and guessed that it was the same longing that she felt: being lost and wanting to find her way back home. She felt it with both Max and Isabel too. And for a while she was convinced that it was something all four of them shared. And she was happy that in a way it connected her with them.

When it had intensified over the summer she thought it had been because of the White Room incident. But she immediately felt the difference - there was a deeper sense of sadness in them that she could not quite understand. She had carefully tried to have a look-see on their minds, but they were aware of her power and had been very wary of her. So instead she let her intuition guide her, she let their alien bond, what was little of it that they shared and tried to decipher the echoing sadness she felt whenever she was with the three.

The answer came and it surprised her in a force strong enough to knock her down on her feet.

It was the humans. It was those humans who were causing the waves of longing and anger and pain she could feel within her alien kind.

The bond the six of them shared, the three humans and the three aliens, was strong. But stronger was the connection formed between the respective pairs.

Max and Liz.

Michael and Maria.

Isabel and Alex.

She tried to see what was so special about that bond and found herself alone, standing on the outside, knowing how much Max, Michael and Isabel were willing to sacrifice - not to find their home but to _protect_ and _be_ with the humans.

**_Be_**.

The one word held too much want and need.

She did not have a name for this need but she felt this for Max. And then one day, she heard it from Michael - of all people.

It was during the first week after they found out about their Destiny. They were huddled together inside the cave. Isabel had seemed so far away, her eyes fixed at the very same spot where her holo-mom had made an appearance. Max and Michael had been in a corner, quietly arguing. Max had probably said something that Michael didn't like, because the next minute Michael was practically shouting at Max.

"I love her! That's why I left her. Don't you get it? There's a reason why we shouldn't have gotten attached in the first place. Do you know why?"

"Yes, because it's dangerous." Max had answered his voice low and controlled.

Michael had shook his head in disgust, "No. Because it's stupid and selfish. The reason we can't get attached is because we hurt them, Max. We would always end up hurting them. Whatever we do, it's going to destroy them." Michael paused and then looked at Max straight in the face, "I didn't walked away for nothing Maxwell. We're fixing this whole mess you started. And we're fixing it now before it ruin us all."

The whole conversation was stuck inside her brain and she couldn't quite cut it out like the rest of her other memories she didn't like to be reminded of and had easily erased.

Love. Michael had called it love.

Tess had heard about love. Had in fact snickered at it. Surely, Max Evans, alien King - her king - could not love Liz Parker with his heart just as he had once told her. It was wrong. Not because she was the one he was supposed to love but because Nasedo had also once told her that love stems not from the heart but from the brain. Impulses that send your heart racing, your palms sweating - telltale signs one was supposed to look out for just to be sure that yes, you are in fact in love.

_Suckers_.

Humans fail to see that fact. Max, like everyone else relates love to the heart.

A heart, for all it's Hallmark-sappy-mushy-idea, was just a muscle. What actually "feels" was the brain. And that, she reminded herself, was exactly what she can control and manipulate. She can manipulate love, bend it to her will. Form it into whatever shape and color that she liked. The only thing she hated was that this power seems to apply only to the humans, never her alien...

Tess paused considering the appropriate term to use. Certainly not friends. She thought about Michael and decided that what they have was more of a grudging teacher-student relationship. Michael didn't seem the least bit grateful for all her efforts trying to teach him control. No friendship material there.

Isabel, who was the first one who really made her feel welcomed was also not her friend. Whatever 'friendship' they had unceremoniously ended when they all suspected her of putting those dream images of Isabel, a happy Michael and an unborn baby. Not that she was entirely innocent but ever since then Isabel's trust had been severely cut off.

If there was a relationship that she had wanted to save it had been her friendship with Isabel. Sure they hang out a lot but she had a feeling that it was because they shared the same genes. Isabel goes to her for all the alien stuff, all the questions on their home planet and sometimes even Destiny. Tess wished that she had all the answers, because if she couldn't give Isabel the information it was always: "Oh. Ok. See you later Tess." and Princess Isabel would be back to her superficial friends.

Not to forget the ever silent King Max. Lover was the farthest thing she can call him. She can barely consider him acquaintance. He never spoke to her unless she prompted him. Never glanced at her. She wouldn't be surprised if he never had once thought of her even for a brief fleeting second. He was her king. And she was what to him?

_Homewrecker_.

Tess gritted her teeth at the answer she supplied for herself. She never felt so out of control before. She thought she had surpassed what big time psychologists here on planet Earth referred to as teen-agst. This human phase everyone was supposed to go through with. Insecurity, alienation - all that crap that day time talk shows discussed on a daily basis. She had once sat through and laughed at a whole episode that talked about teens who felt massively ignored and unappreciated.

Laughed - she had laughed so hard until she thought a wire inside her had snapped and she had gone completely mad and now a couple of days later here she was, grittng her teeth because the only word she had gotten out of Max yesterday was the completely asinine: "You're not Liz."

Like she was trying to be her! Who would want to be Liz Parker anyway? Not her. The brunette stuck her as having this facade of being so overly-warm and sun shiny and caring. It didn't go well with her oh-so-logical scientific approach to everything. After all wasn't science all about being cold and detached? How could anyone look at a microscope and revel in the ugliness of skins and cells? How could anyone bear to cut up little pieces of flesh have it scrutinized in minute details without so much as flinching?

And for all of Liz's seeming logical thoughts, she was the first one who got terrified of Destiny. Even the blonde ditz, Maria, had opted to go against it. But Liz had run far, far away.

Well, that was the humans more for you, Tess thought with a smirk. Always running away from the claws of emotions that could rip their hearts apart - figuratively speaking of course.

Liz Parker broke Max's heart. Liz destroyed Max.

She on the other hand, had been patiently trying to save Max. This Earth was not for them. No matter how safe Max and the others felt being here, it was not safe. It would never be safe. There would come a time when they would all be hunted down, driven away from this place. She knew this was inevitable, the need to go home - to their real home was vital to them if they all wanted to survive and live. Nasedo had told her all this. And he expected her to share this same information with the King. But Max would not listen to her. He would not trust her.

The little pinches in her heart was nowhere near close to what she felt whenever Max looked at her his brown soulful eyes blank and empty. It was like he was trying so very hard not to see her. And she was there dammit, right in front of him!

Here, they were all no one. Not at all significant. Not even important.

Here she was no one. She lived in an empty house, without a family, without friends and somewhere out there, probably in a beautiful green planet was home - maybe a mother and father or a brother, loyal subjects, friends who needed her but at the same time trusted her, liked her, thought of her kindly and would do anything for her.

She had observed both Alex and Maria, separately and together. And unlike Michael, she can admit that she sometimes felt a little twinge of jealousy for what the two humans shared. This friendship she had watched from a distance was rooted from memories that went farther than middle school. She hadn't tried to use her powers on them and she was determined to not let her curiosity get the best of her, but she was quite sure that if she had probed into their mind, she would discover something that she could never understand and never explain. Something that she did not have. Something that she wanted to have.

Just one friend. One freakin' human friend.

Why was it that Max had Liz, Isabel had Alex and Michael had Maria? Was she not allowed to have at least one temporary human _pet_?

Because that was all those humans should be. Pets. Someone who you did love (in the mental sense of course) someone who you'd miss or cry for if they died. But not someone entirely vital to your life.

If only she could convince herself of this cruelty.

Tess slowly stood up and with the barely lighted room she looked like some ghastly apparition sauntering over the empty house. She listened to the familiar silence hanging there ever since they had moved in. Heavy and oh so thick. For a moment she could not breathe and she panicked, afraid that the air - the oxygen she had gotten used to - was now killing her. Poison to her blood.

And the as soon as it began it stopped. And she was back to being able to breathe in and out without any pain. She was human again. Or at least half human as what she was.

Sighing, she walked up towards the open window. The streets were already empty. The middle class residence of this part of town led a decidedly boring life. There was not one person who she could see. And as always, she found herself staring up. The darkened sky was filled with stars. None of which was her home. She had once asked Nasedo, which of the many stars was Antar, but apparently it was too far away to be seen from here. And so ever since she had stared at the sky looking way past the stars, way beyond the darkness.

And there, on that place her eyes could not reach was her home. She belonged there. She wondered when she'd ever set foot there. When she'd ever have all that was promised to her. A kingdom, family, friends, and a king - people, who would love her, trust her, want her and need her. Tess let out a wistful smile, one very rare of her. Sad and almost girlish.

Maybe even love.

And for a split second, she felt her heart - that human muscle she had thought she had conquered - pound painfully against her chest.

And then it was gone. Like it had never moved at all.

Tess searched the sky but ironically found no comfort in it.

Home. Love. Friends.

Weren't these the very things that Nasedo had taught her that she did not need? How come she was craving for them? Bleeding for them?

Home.

Her arm reached silently towards the wall. It rested there for a while and then closing her eyes, she used her mind to convert the molecules, move them, get them under her will, bend them, change them to her every whim, her every fantasy.

And slowly, just as the color red had spread out into the cloth, the wooden panels of her house was changed into clear glass.

Silvery and cool.

Cold.

Tess Harding - at least that was her human given name - smiled in awe as the black sky and the billions of star surrounded her.

If only she could have this glass house and turn it into her home.

She was already happy here and she did not know why.


	9. Lights Party and Action!

**Roswell Summer Vignettes**

**Author**: purplemud  
**Disclaimers**: Roswell does not belong to me. Standard Disclaimers apply  
**Rating**: M mostly for language.  
**Author's Note**: It was supposed to be a Michael POV fic. I don't know why it ended this way. Anyway, I would like to thank everyone who have read and reviewed this fic. I know it doesn't have much of a storyline, in a linear sense, but I'm really glad that you guys are liking the vignettes.

_Light, Party and Action!_

Sometimes he was amazed at his own stupidity. His ability to be stupid must be ingrained in his genes or something. It was beyond his comprehension and worse, his control. Just when he thought he had done it all, he'd surprised himself by doing something he'd not only consider as stupid but life threatening as well.

This was being one of them.

Michael Guerin cursed himself as he sulked at the corner of the room. Away from all the brightly colored lights that filled the house of a friend of a friend of Isabel's. Vicky Something, whatever her name was, had thrown this stupid party. And half of the kids at Roswell had stupidly gone trotting here. Free food, free booze and a room full of hot chicks - not that he can blame them entirely. He let his eyes drift towards the noisy giggling girls, probably younger than he would like to think, who were all obviously trying to catch someone's attention - anyone's attention. Over at the living room was a nice little space reserved for the band, The... Something. He shook his head in disgust. Band's name was that lame he could not even remember it. Annoying teeny-bopper music blasted from the strategically placed speakers. He was getting a headache. One that was not rooted from arguing with Her - a first in his life, he thought sullenly.

Lame music. Lame people. Lame party. And the salient thing was, he was actually here.

In his opinion, high school parties were generally stupid. But a party with a summer theme during summer was stupidity at it's best. How he had been roped into this amazed him. He hadn't even planned or wanted to be here in the first place. He had known that he'd regret going here. He had known that he'd be left alone to glare and sulk. And because he was stupid, he had grudgingly agreed to go and "_Try to have fun, Michael_." as Tess had put it.

To rephrase and be blunt: "_Get a life Michael_," as only Isabel Evans can so sweetly, acidly say.

Of course putting the blame on the two would not be enough. He had to blame himself. It was SOP in his life: blame everyone and then blame himself. After all if he hadn't really wanted to go, nothing short of a nuclear explosion would get his alien ass here. He hated it that part of him had wanted to go. And that part of him was actually slightly enjoying himself. And with that thought, he then put most of the blame on Her. It was always Her fault. Everything he did was connected with Her even though he tried his hardest to rid of Her.

The reason why he shouldn't be here was also the reason why he was still here, rooted to his place - transfixed, mesmerized, angry, confused and trying so very hard not to feel anything. Not a damn thing, Guerin. Not a damn thing.

Of course, he wasn't that stupid not to know what an outright lie that was.

He had been ready to storm off just moments ago, tormented already by the number of people, girls in particular, who approached him asking asinine questions. 'So, you know Vicky?', 'Lived here long?', Enjoying the party?' 'Where's the bathroom, I think I'm gonna throw up,' 'Got a name?' and of course the ever famous, 'Do you believe in aliens?' Not surprisingly, he hadn't even bothered to answer them - not once. He had given them a blank stare or a growl, depending on how annoying they happened to be, and thankfully they all got the hint and left him alone. Just the way he wanted it.

Chalking up on the Outright Lies Points for the Day. He was so good at this game.

He had started looking for either Isabel or Tess, to tell them that he was heading to the desert to bury himself or at the dentist to have a root canal or something, anything to get rid off the numbness inside his head. They had given him the exasperated look only girls were capable of doing and waved their manicured hands in the air as if to dismiss him.

He was on his way out when he saw Her - standing directly in front of his escape door. Michael immediately backed away and found himself hidden among the shadows willing his heart to keep still. Great, just fucking great.

She was here.

He watched as she stepped in inside the room, and suddenly, impossibly, the yellow and blue lights dancing around her seemed brighter. The whole fucking room just got brighter. And hotter. The air felt warmer on his skin.

Someone, some friggin' asshole had spiked his drink, Michael thought angrily.

She could not be here. She shouldn't be here. A friend of Isabel wasn't someone She could and should know. She wasn't the superficial kind to hang out with this kind of crowd.

Michael narrowed his eyes as he scanned the room and saw Alex standing by the table, pouring drinks on the two paper cups he was holding. He gritted his teeth. Isabel and Alex. A set up. He had been once again lurked into a freaking set-up. First Max and now Isabel. Everyone was conspiring against him. Why could not the general population of this town accept the fact that he had decided to move on and cut whatever bond or tie that he had made with her? Why couldn't anyone see that it was for her own good? Why could he not get her out of his head? She was just a damn girl. That was what She was supposed to be. Just a girl. Not special, not at all important, not even significant and vital to his very existence.

Essential and vital does not even do her justice. And Michael found himself getting angrier at the uselessness of the English language. He could feel fire in the pit of his stomach spreading slowly outward to his fingertips that were already aching, burning in need to touch her.

She hadn't seen him yet. But She knew he was here. He was sure of that. He had seen the way her small body tensed when his eyes first found her - devoured her. She knew he was here and She knew that he was watching her.

Dammit.

She was looking for him that much was obvious as she twirled in little circles, green eyes wandering around. Her mouth wasn't moving, but Michael could still see, could still hear her lips forming his name, calling out to him.

He pushed himself further against the wall. If She saw him, knowing her, She would purposely stride over to him and poke him in the chest and accuse him of being a heartless cruel bastard alien. Not that it wasn't true. That was him in a nut shell or pod-shell as would be more appropriate. Heartless. Cruel. Bastard - ok, maybe not bastard, but Alien would do.

And then it would get ugly.

Because he was always so full of ideas on how to hurt her. It was like he had an internal factory on ways and devices on how to turn her away from him. He knew for a fact that all She ever wanted was a nice romantic thoughtful guy - her knight in shining armor - apparently, it was too much to ask for because She had gotten him instead. He was everything that went against the concept of nice, romantic, thoughtful guys.

Heard that Mickey-boy? He asked himself harshly. A knight in shining armor, not an alien from outer space with a shiny flying saucer buried somewhere in the desert. And while we're at it, let's add up his much celebrated emotional retardedness. Boyfriend material, alright, he thought bitingly.

But She accepted him. Which worried him a lot. Because She should not be happy with him. With what he can give her - which is close to nothing really. She deserved more. So much more. And the stubborn little spit-fire was willing to risk her life for him. _Him_! The alien screw-up. That had been his limit. He knew exactly at that moment that he had to put an end to all... all of whatever they had gotten into... whatever he had gotten her into...whatever She had gotten him into.

If She wasn't willing to save herself from him then he'd do the saving for her.

The Destiny thing was never really the reason why he had broken up with her. It was a passable excuse. Not that he didn't love Izzy. It was just that Isabel was his sister. And he did tried. He truly did. Night after night, he tried telling himself that he and Isabel were suited for each other. They both share the same genes, they were comfortable with each other, they trusted each other, they have the same fears, they had the same alien food quirks - sweet and spicy - and they had the same past life, have in fact been engaged back then. They had fallen in love once, to do it again shouldn't be hard. And besides, they knew each other so well - so well, in fact, that it was like they were family.

And _then_ the whole Sister Concept would sink and kick in.

So fine, he had pretty much given up with the Destiny Pairing thing but he still wanted to keep her away from him. When he had said goodbye to her he had meant it. He just couldn't say goodbye to her completely. He was afraid it would be something that would eventually kill him. Not in the drop-dead kind of way, more like a slow painful death.

He'd miss her.

He had a terrible feeling that he'd miss her forever.

Michael hadn't seen her in a long while. There were brief glimpses of her entering the Crashdown as he exited or the other way around. There were longer hours of watching her through her window as She slept. There were a few stalking moments, none of them particularly memorable. Most of the time, She'd be alone on her way home and he'd follow her until he was sure that She was safe and that all of the doors were locked. But he never really saw her. And that brought this deep unexplainable ache inside of him that he couldn't cure, no matter how many times he tried. If only there was an available Anti-Maria Pill he could swallow up. Make him forget about her. Make him stop wanting her. Make him immune to her red full lips, or her voice - everything about her.

He watched totally transfixed as She made her way towards the dance floor, finally giving up on searching for him. And maybe that was a good thing.

Maybe she understands his need to hide and watch her from afar.

Michael felt the tightening of his chest

Always from a far.

He wanted to look another way, anywhere: at the floor and scrutinize someone's vomit, at the ceiling and try to find out the exact measurement of the thin jagged crack it had, at the white walls and observe the way some of the paint had faded away, at his shoes and the two-week old caked dust and mud that seemed permanently attached to it's leather skin, or peer inside the empty paper cup he was holding and count the droplets left inside of it - any-fucking-where.

But his eyes were stubborn and stupid.

Clenching his fist Michael tried not to let himself answer to the silent hum - this vibe inside his body that insisted that he watch her. Even for a few brief moments.

Just for a brief moment - to really see her again.

She had on her whatever-grin and was slowly trying to feel the music. First it was just her blonde head that was bobbing up and down, golden strands flying in different direction and then the music seemed to possess her whole body and he was filled with jealousy so fierce and sudden it made him stagger back a little.

He watch fixated at the movement her hips. The way it slowly swayed with the tune only She can seem to hear. Because the music around him was dumb not at all sensual or hypnotic. But here he was, standing still and obviously entranced by every little movement her small body made. The way her hands twirled high above her head, pulling her little top up and revealing white creamy skin he had once touched and kissed and sucked and bit.

Michael had to bite back a groan. This was what he meant by life threatening. He ordered his heart to start beating again. Breathe, Michael, breathe dammit!

He could not stop himself. He had her every move pinned and followed by his eyes. The way She tilted her head languidly from side to side, blonde hair bathed by the rainbow-silver colored lights that played around the room and against her pale skin.

God, somebody should drag her off the dance floor now. Right now. Before he do something really really stupid. And he was very capable of doing it. Of doing everything to her, for her, right now. This fucking instant.

How could Amy DeLuca allow her daughter to walk out of their house wearing that?

It should be illegal to let anyone - especially her with those damn legs - wear a skirt that short. Or that top. He swallowed hard and managed to get his eyes focused on her hands again. It was too difficult to look at her face. It was actually physically painful. Like having a fist clenched on his insides. He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

Everything about her should be illegal. Of course, Michael thought grim faced, if that were the case, it would only make her all the more appealing. And sexy. Too damn sexy.

She looked beautiful. Even that word fell short of how She always looked to him. He loved her all dressed up, golden locks held by glittering pins that he longed to take off so that he can have his hands shoved through her hair. He loved her in her uniform, soap bubbles coating the tips of her fingers as She washed the dishes, faded stains of Tabasco on her cheeks that he wanted to lick off right from her skin. He loved her in her pajamas, her hair all over the place, her face without any traces of the gooey stuff girls love putting on their face.

_"Make-up, Michael. There's a term for it. It's called make-up, it's not goo."_

Michael rolled his eyes remembering one of their less intense talks. They were very few of them and so he treasured them. He made it a point to remember them all - every little word that had escaped from her lips. So that at night, whenever it got boring and too damn quiet he can hear her voice from his memory. He can imagine having her with him. Arguing with him. Being stubborn and girly and annoying.

Stupid freakin' alien dork. He knew he had been spending way too much time with Maxwell and now his greatest nightmare was coming true. Max's dorkiness had rubbed on him.

And he kinda liked it. Well, at least sometimes he did. It allowed him to feel something other than the white-hot familiar rage. But still, Michael winced; it was something he wasn't exactly looking forward to feeling every damn day. It was new to him. It scared him to discover that he can actually be changed - that he can actually feel. Because that would mean that somehow he had grown weaker yet again.

How could She make him feel so weak by doing absolutely nothing? Or in this case, by just standing there underneath the lights moving oh-so-slowly?

"Who's the hot blonde?" He heard the guy to his left ask loudly. He narrowed his eyes. There were many blondes in the room. No need to get all paranoid and Neanderthal. Could be Tess or that Vicky. He crossed his arms over his chest and although he hadn't taken his eyes off her, he listened closely to the conversation going on at his side.

"Which one?" Another voice excitedly piped up.

"The one in the black skirt and that little red number with the spaghetti strap."

For a brief moment, he saw a flash of red in front of him. Black skirt, red top, blonde. Hot blonde. Her. His.

He managed to turn and glare at the two bozos who, like him, had been feasting their eyes on her. Assholes. He didn't know them. Didn't look at all familiar. Probably one of the many loser seniors who had nothing better to do than pry on the young innocent ones.

"Don't know her." Asshole B answered. His obvious disinterest somehow added to Michael's growing irritation.

"That's DeLuca. Sweet little Maria DeLuca." A new voice joined in. There was an obvious slur in the guy's speech. Not at all surprising, considering the amount of liquor some lamebrain had managed to smuggle in. The irritation that Michael felt now bubbled up into something more threatening. He turned his attention at the third asshole and gritted his teeth. Dave Patch. Football jock. Mr. Popularity. Michael frowned; remembering something Kyle had said the other week at the Crashdown.

_'You should see Dave Patch, he thinks you're hot.'_

Well, well. Just the guy he wanted to have a talk with.

"You know her?" First asshole asked looking at Patch with obvious regard.

"Yeah. Turning Junior this year. Wanted to get to know her better, ya know. Get close. _Really_ close." Dave announced raising his paper cup and staring at her, his blue eyes glinting with obvious interest and malice.

Fucking pervert! Michael almost spitted the words out. How dare he look at her that way? No one should ever look at her that way!

There were a few "ah-s" and some snickering that Michael heard. That didn't help either. He narrowed his eyes, feeling the strain of trying to put a lid on his growing anger. Fine, he had broken up with her, that was true, but there was no way this scumbag would ever get close enough to know what She smells like. Not a chance in hell. Not a freakin' chance in hell.

"Little sweetheart looks like a good lay to me." Patch added with a smirk. Half of the men surrounding him offered their own opinions.

Michael gritted his teeth. It had been a while since the last time he had punched someone - violence wasn't something he advocated but these guys were practically asking for it. He purposely strode towards the small circle that surrounded Patch.

"Why you gonna do her?" Asshole B asked, the bored look on his face suddenly erased to be replaced by a wide sneer.

Michael could practically feel the vein in his temple throbbing in anger. Oh, he'd love to wipe the sneer off that jerk's face. Wipe it pretty fuucking clean too. He took another step.

"Planning to. If I ever got lucky - which I probably would - I'll tell you all about it."

Michael heard himself let out a small growl. No one -_ No. Fucking. One_ - talked about her that way! He could feel the tremor of rage inside his body, the energy centering on in his closed fist. That's it, they've tried his patience, these scumbags are gonna go down. Painfully.

"Hey, hey, told you she's off limits pal." A familiar voice suddenly spoke up. Michael stopped halfway and saw Kyle Valenti entering the picture, eyes also locked at her. He clenched his fist tightly not at all liking the way things were heading. Why the fuck was everyone looking at her?

"Valenti?" There was an almost child-like surprised tone in Dave's voice but his smile was anything but innocent. "Didn't know you were interested." The football jock added with derision. He looked down Kyle and raised an eyebrow.

Kyle shook his head. "No. No. No. You got it all wrong. Just stay away, ok? Trust me, it's for your own good." He shrugged nonchalantly but his voice was low and serious.

Michael kept his body still and almost rigid, suddenly realizing that he had been ready to pounce on Dave and pound his face into one messy bloody pulp. He hadn't had any second thoughts about. Just give it to the guy and what? Leave? There was no way he can walk away after that. And he was sure that She'd see him. She'd see him in yet again one of his moments of stupidity and recklessness. He stepped back and was almost thankful at Kyle's sudden appearance.

He would have to deal with Patch and his gang of idiots some other time. This was not the place and he was too angry. And an angry Michael is a dangerous Michael. He had already killed someone. He wasn't about to add another name on that list. He did not want to have anymore nightmares - he did not want to be in that dark place again where he hated himself more than he ever thought possible.

But if Patch or anyone from that herd of morons tried to take one step, just one step towards her, he might just as well use his now practiced alien powers. He wouldn't even think twice about it. He didn't know what exactly he should do to each one of them. Turning them into dust wasn't an option though. Although he figured he'd be doing humanity a huge favor. Michael watched silently as Kyle began to walk away from the group. Of course Patch, being drunk and stupid, stepped in front of Kyle, effectively trapping the younger jock inside the small circle. He heard Kyle mutter a low curse. Even if Kyle didn't in the least bit intimidated him, he was sure that had Kyle used that tone and voice on him he would've listened and done exactly what was told - grudgingly of course.

Everyone inside the circle was silent, as if waiting for something to happen. The last time he had seen the whole football team this quiet was when they lost to that rival team. 24-0. It was the one single football game he had watched and actually enjoyed. Nothing looked threatening at all to Michael and he stood rather calmly watching the two jocks sizing each other up. He shot a quick glance at the dance floor and was a little relieved and a little angry to see that She was being led by Alex into the kitchen. He hadn't seen enough of her. At least he was sure of her safety now that She was with Whitman.

"That a threat huh, Valenti?" Dave asked, his voice getting louder.

Michael rolled his eyes. These jocks were hopeless. Playing too much of that sport had probably shaken up their brains way beyond repair - never mind testosterone, this was something you can't blame on hormones. This was a clear beginning of trouble - with a capital T. One just needed to push someone and all hell would break lose.

Thankfully, the younger Valenti merely shook his head and started to walk away in another direction. But Patch was annoyingly persistent tonight and once again blocked Kyle's path, clearly using his height advantage over Kyle. The big jock looked like he was ready to pounce on Kyle, although Michael had a feeling that with Kyle's reputation as being the Sheriff's son a full-blown brawl was not highly feasible. But if one was about to occur, he would have to decide whether or not he'd help out Kyle. After all keeping a low profile was his priority.

"Nah. Just an advice. DeLuca women are not like that. Plus, they can throw in a good punch or two." Kyle said evenly. "Could even knock you out cold Patch." There was a sneer on his voice that Michael didn't fail to hear.

"That so?" Dave asked with false bravado amidst the catcalls that were surrounding him.

A feeble comeback, Michael thought with an almost grin. He looked at Kyle who also had the same lopsided grin plastered across his face. "Considering the baby that you really are, I wouldn't be surprised if she can throw the ball better than you, El Capitan."

There were a few scattered chuckles heard and Michael noticed that a few of Kyle's friends had also gone over to see what the big jock meeting was all about. The louder chuckles came from them - in obvious support for Kyle. Dave's lips twitched obviously trying to think of something to say.

Eight seconds and nothing.

Still counting.

Perhaps Kyle's sentence was too long. Maybe Patch didn't know their very, very, _very_ basic Spanish. Michael mused as he continued to watch them with suppressed hilarity. Yeah, he was a little concerned, but this was something he had already seen before. Sloshed dumb jock versus a - well, Kyle wasn't his friend so, a slightly smarter jock would do. He wasn't even worried. The worst thing that could happen was Isabel going all, "euwww" over bloody broken noses. If it ever get that far.

Michael watched half exasperated half amused as Kyle opened his mouth and this seemeds to be the perfect engraved invitation for an altercation between Kyle and Dave's groups. He shook his head, Kyle should've just kept his mouth shut. He already had the last word but obviously, he needed to have the last _last_ word.

"Right." Kyle drawled out, nodding slowly. "I thought so." He looked at Dave with narrowed eyes, "I've warned you. You stay away from her. She's way out of your league. She likes her men able to form long, coherent sentences."

Dave growled.

Ok, Michael thought, quickly assessing the situation. Valenti Jr. is definitely looking for trouble. Michael scowled. He really didn't want to get in a fight, especially with her around. He was already the bad guy in her life. She really didn't have to see him acting like a complete moron with the rest of these guys but Patch wasn't backing off. And for a monkey brained like him, this was pretty much expected.

"I do what I wanna do Valenti. Make that who I wanna do. You're not stoppin' me." Dave made a show of looking around, "Where's the little spark-plug anyway? I miss her already" Dave made a step forward in the direction of the kitchen - obviously having seen her headed that way a few minutes ago.

Big mistake. Michael was already in front of him, eyes conveying silent fury. He was taller than Dave. He can take on the guy anytime. Even without his alien power.

"Whoa, big guy, you're in my way." Dave said looking up. Michael remained stone-faced. Oh yeah, bloody broken nose all the way he thought almost grimly. He crossed his arms threateningly across his chest and moved a little more towards Patch. He felt someone pushing in between him and Dave. He growled down and then blinked in surprised when he saw Kyle. He raised his eyebrows at Kyle who had successfully pushed Dave away from him.

"Ok you two back off." Kyle ordered. Michael frowned and glared at him.

Kyle returned the glare with a roll of his eyes before turning his attention back to Patch. He heard Kyle took a deep breath, "Listen, Dave, she's my friend ok. So just back off. You're never gonna get anywhere near her at all. Trust me."

"Ooooh. I didn't know you have a protective older brother side, Sheriff-boy." Dave announced loudly, earning them a few nervous glances from the crowd. Michael noticed the sudden attention and he suddenly wanted to get this over with. The sooner the better. He bit down the urge to grab Dave by his collar. Instead he leaned over to him and caught a whiff of something stronger than beer. Dave jerked back, fear contorting his face for a few seconds and then the smug smile was back in place.

Pathetic.

"Leave him alone." Michael declared and then he practically roared, "Leave _her_ alone."

Dave looked at him tilting his head a little. The guy obviously had a little too much to drink. He swayed on his feet as he stared up at Michael. He was silent for a full five seconds and Michael wished anyone from Dave's gang had the brain matter to get the guy off his personal space before he do something he might or might not regret later on. Michael tensed at the light of recognition that sparked at the jock's ice blue eyes

"Guerin?"

Michael didn't even bother to answer him. How the hell did this guy know his name? He could sense a little wave of fear from the jock and was slightly disturbed by the fact.

Dave looked at Kyle and then back at him. He shook his head, a smile playing on his lips. He seemed amused by all of this. "Didn't know you two are friends."

"We're not." Kyle and Michael said defensively at the same time.

Dave sneered and then looked at his loyal steroid buddies. "Didn't know you two were banging the same chick then..."

Whatever Dave was going to say next, he didn't get to finish it. Someone's fist landed somewhere between his mouth and the bridge of his nose.

Chaos ensued.

"Aw Gawd-" Michael heard Dave mutter. He sounded in pain. Real pain. He looked down at the jock and then at his fist. He wasn't sure if he had hit the scumbag. Dave had blood spilled over at the collar of his shirt. Michael was no doctor, but from the looks of it, Dave's nose was broken. He glanced up around him and saw everyone - every-freakin'-one caught in an ugly fist fight.

The lights were still on, dancing madly against the faces of the party people of Roswell High. Michael couldn't believe it, but it looked like everyone was actually enjoying themselves, there were a couple of guys egging on the others to fight. He wasn't surprised when he heard a betting pool starting. At the middle of the room, a blonde girl in a blue mini skirt screeched: "You've ruined my party!" And she was actually crying.

A heavy hand landed on his shoulder. He swirled around, fist up, ready to do battle. A surprised Kyle raised his hand in feeble defense. "Whoa, whoa, easy there. Me not-friend, him," Kyle paused to use his other hand to point at a moaning groaning Dave at the floor. "enemy."

_What_? Michael dropped his arms and nodded blankly. He stared at Kyle with narrowed eyes. What did the guy want?

"So, did you or did I?" Kyle asked gesturing over at Dave.

"Huh?" Michael asked raising his eyebrow.

"Did I punch him or did you?" Kyle asked oddly sounding disgusted.

"What? Of course I did... I mean, I think I did." Michael shook his head. Did he? He couldn't remember exactly. Everything was a blur to him. All he remembered was that he had lunged at Dave somewhere in between the part about him and Kyle doing the same chick.

"I think I did." Kyle said in obvious wonder.

"Maybe." Michael said with a shrug. He didn't want credit for this anyway. Even if it had been for her. He had a feeling that if She ever found out, She'd be more upset than proud. He glanced at Dave and saw the ugly traces of blood seeping from the hand clutching his nose.

The color of blood seemed to jump in places where the lights hit them.

"Maybe." Kyle echoed.

"Somebody call the cops!" A shrill female voice shrieked from somewhere. The one sentence reverberated inside the room and not one of the speakers were able to drown it out. The effect of that announcement was incredible. Boys and girls scampered towards every possible exit. The dancing lights made everything look so surreal and garish. Not exactly the kind of party Isabel and Tess were hoping for he thought somewhat cheerfully.

"Aww shit!" Both of them muttered. They looked at each other and frowned.

"Thanks for looking out for... her..." Michael mumbled uneasily.

"Maria? Oh." Kyle paused frowning at him. "Yeah. She's a nice girl. Patch deserves it." He added with a shrug. "Listen, I don't really want to bond with dear old daddy behind bar, so..." Kyle began looking at the now almost empty room. He paused and rubbed his chin, "Huh, Deja Vu." He mumbled to himself. He turned and caught Michael staring at him blankly, "Heatwave? Soap factory? Cops everywhere? Chaos? Liz and Alex in jail? Ringing any bells here?" He asked raising his eyebrows.

Michael nodded curtly. He did not want any reminder of that night. Of the look on her face when he had first hurt her. Soap Factory and Heatwave did not ring any bells in him - it sounded off alarms - high pitched and painful to the ears. Loud alarms that reminded him of the many reasons why he did not get intense, why he shouldn't get intense. Which is of course exactly what he did anyway. He tried to erase the sudden memory and the mental image of her sad hurt green eyes. He was always hurting her.

They started to walk away when they heard Dave moaning. They both looked down at the squirming jock. "Think he knows which one of us punched him?" Kyle asked slowly.

"Wanna ask him?" Michael offered.

Kyle thought for a moment and then shook his head, "Nah." He looked down at Dave and then at Michael, "What should we do about him?" Kyle asked.

"What _should_ we do about him?" Michael repeated with a scowl.

"Don't you have your alien powers-thingie to fix this?" Kyle asked raising his eyebrows.

"I am not healing him. I refuse to heal him." Michael answered crossing his arms squarely against his chest.

"I didn't say you heal him. Just, you know, brainwash him or something. He doesn't have to remember our names. Just... I don't know... concentrate and use your creepy alien powers." Kyle said with disdain.

Michael frowned at him. "Can't take credit for what you've done?"

"Sure, if your dad doesn't have a 24/7 access at the jailhouse." There was an almost pleading note in Kyle's voice.

Michael groaned and walked away in disgust. "Hey! Hey! Where you going Guerin?" Kyle asked.

"Stay there." He ordered without looking back. Kyle had a point. No use in having Dave tell the rest of the town that he and Valenti had pounded on him. He passed by the half eaten food at and at the scattered paper cups and plates that seemed to overflow. Michael didn't have to look far, he found Tess wandering aimlessly around the house like nothing happened. "Where's Izzy?" He asked as soon as she saw him.

"Last time I saw her she was with boy-toy number fifty-something. I lost count." Tess informed him with a casual shrug.

"Ok. We'll find her later. They're calling the cops." Michael said taking her hands. Tess pulled him to a stop and like every other girl in the world, she managed to demand and explanation without even opening her mouth. "No time to explain. I need you to do something." Michael said dragging her towards the living room.

She looked at him and then raised her eyebrows, "So you did punch Dave Patch." She stated this quite calmly.

"Which channel was this news broadcasted on?" Michael asked sarcastically.

Tess shrugged. A girl can have her sources, doesn't mean she have to reveal them. "So, he's still alive right?" She asked without any trace of humor.

Michael felt his heart stop at the question so calmly put - as though it was the most natural thing in the world for him to kill someone. He meant to answer Tess, but he just couldn't find his voice. He just couldn't get the words out of his mouth - because he couldn't believe in it - I'm not bad. I'm not a killer.

But that was what he was already. A killer.

"Michael?" Tess asked, sounding suddenly alarmed at Michael's silence.

"No, he didn't kill him ok? Dave's just... bleeding." Kyle said standing at the doorway.

Michael blinked looking at Kyle. He hadn't left? He was sure Valenti would've scampered back home, tail stuck between his legs afraid that daddy might arrest him. Why didn't just the guy bail as he had expected. He wondered why everyone, the humans in particular, were all trying to prove him wrong every-fucking-time.

Tess sighed, rolling her eyes. "Well, people are gonna say that you two punched him. Can't do anything about that. But it would be another story if Dave tells them otherwise." Tess walked briskly, all business-like towards Dave. She looked around her first and then knelt down. "We're doing this nice and quick." She mumbled to herself.

Kyle looked at Michael and raised his eyebrows.

"She's gonna mindwarp him." Michael said frowning. He didn't know why he was still talking to Kyle. He remained on his place as Kyle followed Tess and knelt down beside her. He watched as she took the guy's bloody face in her hands and faced him towards her. Dave's head lolled to the side as his eyes slightly opened. "DeLuca?"

Tess raised her eyebrows and looked at Michael with curiosity. At Michael's sour look, she could almost guess why Michael had punched Dave in the first place. Personally, she had nothing against Dave. Sure he lacked the mental faculties necessary to survive high school, but hey, he was still eye candy. Tess sighed. "I'm not Maria." She crooned softly.

"What are you gonna do?" Kyle interrupted, curiosity getting the best out of him.

"Shut up. I'm trying to concentrate." Kyle moved back a little. He turned to Michael who didn't look at all happy and then back to Tess. "How exactly does that work?" Kyle asked again, ignoring the hiss he heard from Tess.

"I get inside his head." Tess explained in a low controlled voice. She looked up to Kyle and narrowed her eyes, "I could use it on you some other time if you like." She offered, batting her eyelashes up at him.

Kyle bit the urge to jump back away. Wow, definitely creepy. "No, ugh, thanks, I'll just watch and learn." He mumbled standing up.

Tess let out a sigh and turned her attention back at Dave. She paused taking a deep breath and then smiled, "You got punched by someone from the football team. Michael tried to punch you but you ducked, he missed. Kyle tried to get you too, but you're way too smart for him. But you didn't see this other guy... he broke your nose."

Dave's eyes were so blue. So sky-blue. She let herself be lost in it and then proceeded to weave imaginary fingers inside Dave's brain and let the visions flow from her to him: Dave expertly ducking twice and then getting the surprise of his life as a fist landed right to his nose. And then the crushing sound of bone breaking and thick wetness rushing out from his nose.

Tess broke the connection and stood up, wiping her hands on her silver skirt. She looked down at her shirt with a grimace and took care of the bloodstains too. "Fixed it." She announced.

Michael nodded, still unable to talk. Her tone was so familiar. Fixed it already - again. You screwed up again. Do something stupid and let someone else fix it for you.

"Just like that? So he's gonna wake up and like, remember it the way you told him?" He asked incredulously. Tess nodded. Kyle considered this for a minute and then said suddenly, "Couldn't you say he got punched cuz he tried to kiss Larry? 'Cause that would have been hilarious." Kyle offered with a grin. Both Tess and Michael stared blankly at him. The grin faded and he scowled. "It sounded funny to me!"

The sudden sound of wailing siren, getting louder and closer pierced into the house. Red and blue flashing lights began to appear at the wall and without another word, Michael, Tess and Kyle hurried over towards the backdoor, into the backyard and then straight into the dark streets.

"My dad's gonna kill me." Kyle muttered darkly.

"Fixed it already." Michael informed him with a scowl. He walked faster, wanted to get away from the scene of the crime as fast as he can. He glanced at Tess who seemed bored by everything.

"Ever heard of the word 'witnesses' Guerin?" Kyle shot back, following them out of the house.

Why is Kyle still with them? Michael thought, thoroughly confused. "What are you whining for? Isabel and Max are gonna kill me." Michael countered hotly, already knowing what was in store for him. He'll just have to face Max and his sermon like all the other times.

"My dad's not stupid. He's gonna know the truth." The football jock said sounding almost indignant.

"Yeah, I know." Michael said a little somberly. "So would Max and Isabel." He glanced at Tess.

"I'm not gonna tell him, Michael. But if Max asks me, you know I'd tell him the truth right?" She glanced at Kyle and noticed he also had blue eyes like Dave's. But Kyle's eyes was darker. More blue and vibrant. Hm. The boy had a weird sense of humor, Tess thought, but he didn't look all that bad. Not bad at all.

Feeling her stare on him, Kyle turned to face her. "What?"

Tess just slowly, disturbinlgy smiled back at him.

Behind them, as if on cue, Isabel's voice rang out loud and clear.

"Michael Guerin! Stop this instant!" The sound of girly-shoes heels hitting the pavement echoed through the stillness of the night

Michael froze on his spot. Great. Just fucking great. He turned and watched as Isabel practically jogged over to him and in no time she'd reach him and he'd just have to deal. She's gonna bitch about. Well she's gonna bitch about everything, that's for certain.

Kyle felt the need to step back at the venom in Isabel's voice. He turned to look at Michael who looked a little sick. Isabel Evans, Ice Princess on a Mothering Rampage. Brrrr. "Well, ugh, good luck, then." He said in all seriousness and maybe even with a hint of concern.

Somewhere inside the house, roared the Sheriff's voice: "KYLE!"

Kyle's shoulder dropped. "Shit!" So much for escaping the scene of the friggin' crime. But he was defending Maria's honor - the daughter of the woman his father was dating, maybe that would get him off the hook. The more he thought of the excuse the more it seemed useable. Never in his million life did he think that he'd say this but, thank the good Lord his father was dating Amy DeLuca!

"KYLE! DON'T MAKE ME COME AND GET YOU!"

Kyle turned to look at Michael. A little support here buddy?

Michael turned to look at Kyle, "Yeah, you too. Good luck. Whatever." The Martian said with a smirk.

Whatever? That's all he can come up with? "Thanks a lot." Kyle rolled his eyes and then stood straighter as Isabel, the tall blonde stopped in front of him. He glanced at her and tried to hide his smirk. This was the most unglamorous Isabel he had ever seen. Oddly enough, she looked more human to him than ever. She her hands resting on her knees and was bent over, trying to catch her breath. Isabel glanced at him and surprised everyone when she talked to Kyle first. "Your dad's looking for you." She said though small puffs of breaths.

"Yeah, I kinda heard." Kyle said, his tone almost friendly. This was his first time talking with the alien race and he felt... he felt weird but still normal. He paused, ok, that would then fall under the Definitely Freaky category right?

Isabel nodded and added, "Alex and Maria too." She rose to her full height and Kyle found himself looking up at her. He muttered a curse.

"They're gonna kill me."

"Don't worry, your dad's gonna kill you first." Tess informed him, already standing beside Isabel

"Wow, thanks, way to make me feel better." He said, looking at Tess with interest. Kyle frowned, realizing that this was the first time he'd actually seen her. At the room, he was too busy trying to find out what "mindwarping" meant. Nice top, he thought to himself, silver like the stars.

"Why is Sheriff Valenti gonna kill you?" Isabel asked. There was not a drop of sweat present on her face. Weird alien thing, Kyle thought a little impressed. He glanced at a stone-faced Michael and noticed sweat stains on the Martian's shirt. Or maybe, just weird alien girl thing. Which meant that they always smelled nice and fresh. And alien.

Kyle shook his head. "I just love the constant reminder." He answered sarcastically.

Isabel frowned and opened her mouth, but it was not her voice they heard.

"Kyle are you there?"

Michael tensed. He had to get out of here fast. He looked at Isabel and Tess but they had their heads both turned towards the opened wooden gate where they had all burst out from.

"Kyle?" They watched as Maria emerged from the gate. She stopped when she saw who Kyle was with. Her body immediately tensed.

"You got my dad with you?" Kyle shouted back.

There was a pause. "Yeah, 'cause me and your dad are just best buddies in the whole, wide world." She sounded irritated and Michael could almost see her green eyes flashing. The street lamp behind her made her glow. She was always glowing. Why wasn't She coming over here to start stabbing his chest with her finger? Why was She standing there waiting for Kyle to come over?

Michael felt his heart dropping to his feet as realization dawned on him. Because She doesn't care anymore. Just the other night, he remembered suddenly, She hadn't called like She used to and now, She wouldn't even face him so that She can get angry with and at him. Michael felt something burning in his throat. He tried to swallow it and pretend that this was exactly what he wanted.

He had lost her.

"Yes. I mean no. I mean... what?" Kyle responded sharply.

"He said you better get your butt in here before he grounds you until your forty." Her voice was steady and firm, not at all nervous as Michael expected it to be. She was ok now, She didn't need him anymore.

"Could you tell him first that there's a perfectly good explanation for this?" Kyle replied shifting from foot to foot.

"You're sta-lling."

Her sing-song voice filled the empty night and Michael's heart felt like it was going to burst either with pain or happiness - maybe both. He didn't know anymore.

He had lost her. What did it matter if his stupid heart was happy or in pain?

Kyle turned towards him and then at Tess, "I don't think the little creepy mindwarping thing didn't work. Patch obviously told my dad that I punched him."

"Of course it worked!" Tess said the same time Michael said "I did."

"I knew it!" Isabel declared from nowhere. "I knew it was you Michael!" She slapped him hard in the arm.

"Ow! What the hell was that for? You have a thing for Dave Patch?" He growled at her.

"First of all, euww! I do not have a think for that... that... slime ball ok? And second, that was for ruining an almost perfect party, Michael."

"Oh, Ky-le"

"Would you stop that! I'm coming ok! Jeez," Kyle muttered shaking his head, "the one party I managed to drag them into, turns into a complete disaster." He turned at Michael "Look, ok, we all know you can't go to jail and have records and stuff. So just go, ok?"

"He's right Michael." Isabel said, crossing her arms.

"Michael isn't going to jail. As far as Dave knows someone else punched him and not Michael." Tess said in exasperation.

Kyle rolled his eyes, "I did, ok? I punched him. Are we clear? Good."

Tess and Isabel shared a look. Men!

Michael opened his mouth to protest but Kyle cut him off, "Unless you wanna face her." he gestured towards the lone figure who was leaning against the wall. The Martian's eyes narrowed. Wordlessly, Michael offered his hand and Kyle stared at it almost dumbly for a moment, then stepped forward to shake his hand.

"Pleasure doing business with you." Kyle said flatly.

"Whatever." He answered in the same flat voice. He heard Tess snickering behind him and could almost imagine Isabel rolling her eyes.

"I never got to thank him." Kyle said suddenly, not sure where it came from. "Tell Evans I said... I said he did a good job ruining our lives so he better make up for it and," Kyle paused looking away, "thanks... for saving me."

Michael's eyes hardened as he stepped back. "I'm not your messenger boy, you tell Max yourself." He said coldly.

Kyle rolled his eyes. Yeah, like that's going to happen. "Whatever." And he turned his back towards them without another word. They watched silently as Kyle jogged over to the blonde girl. When he reached her, She reached out and punched him in the arm.

"Ow-fuck! What the hell?" Kyle yelped swaying a little.

"For dragging me to this stupid party. Alex's gonna kill you. My mom's gonna kill you. Vicky's gonna kill you..."

"Geesh, fall in line, will ya." Kyle grumbled. He muttered a curse. Great, he was getting ready to be killed - what was it? four? five times?

Wonderful life he had.

Really wonderful.

- end -

Ok, so how was it? Please feel free to tell me anything you want. Looking forward to hearing from you all!


End file.
